Is Pilates like yoga is a common question I get asked. As always the answer is neither yes or no.
Joseph Pilates when creating its exercise system took exercises from many different disciplines including yoga. His genius was in combining them into the exercise system we know today as just Pilates.
I think the easiest way to think about it is that yoga is static whereas Pilates is movement based. In yoga you enter a pose and then hold it for a specified period of time. Whereas in Pilates we mostly add movement to the exercises.
Pilates being movement based focuses more on the core, inner skeletal stabilising and postural muscles. That’s not to say yoga isn’t beneficial because it is. In a perfect world if we had time we’d both Pilates and yoga and therefore get the benefits of both.
If asked which discipline I’d pick if I were forced to choose I’d obviously say Pilates. In my opinion it’s more functional than Yoga and if taught correctly inherently safer particularly for those with an existing structural problems such as a slipped disc.
Also because Pilates is movement based I find it more interesting than Yoga but that’s my personal preference.
Try them both for three months and see which one you prefer and you never know I might see you in one of my local Hull Pilates Classes 