Yoga vs Pilates: Which of These Two Is Best for You?
During the process of finding appropriate physical activity, you must have thought about Pilates or yoga, which are some of the most popular and most effective workouts for women. However, numerous instructions or training advice on the Internet do not differentiate between these two activities and often combine them, although they essentially have completely different effects and goals.
Find out what the difference is between these two activities and thus decide which one suits you best.
Yoga – Its Types and Benefits
The almost 5,000-year-old discipline, which originates from India, is not only intended for relaxing and stretching the human body. Yoga is actually a practice on a mental, spiritual, and physical level that results in leading a healthy, fulfilled, and conscious life.
Depending on your needs and physical fitness, there are dozens of different types of yoga available to you, which differ in both their physical and mental aspects.
Asana as No.1
One of the most popular is Asana yoga, which involves staying in one position for a long period of time. It is known for poses such as sirsasana (headstand) and padmasana (lotus position). Asana affects the muscles, blood circulation, posture, and the nervous and lymphatic systems, coordinating the action of the entire nervous system, stabilizing the mental state of the one who exercises.
Ashtanga is another type of yoga that has become popular and which focuses on a special way of breathing that creates heat and improves circulation. In addition to short-term benefits such as improved sleep quality, higher concentration, and proper posture, research has shown that practicing yoga reduces the amount of cortisol in the body and strengthens the spine. Yoga also increases awareness of our bodies and allows us to lead healthier lives.
Pilates
Although you will not sweat practicing it like, for example, Zumba, but Pilates is one of the workouts that will activate your whole body, burning calories and strengthening your muscles at the same time. The primary goal of Pilates is to maintain balance, strengthen muscles and the spine, and establish proper posture.
It can be practiced only on mats without any aids, while those who like stronger training can use devices such as reformers, which train more parts of the body simultaneously and achieve greater endurance.
Pilates Comes in Many Forms
Today, there are many types of Pilates that have different effects, such as high intensity (HIIT) Pilates – which focuses on burning calories and weight loss, or classic Pilates – which combines exercises on a mat and a reformer. In some studios, there is so-called modern Pilates, which is a combination of intense strength exercises, dancing, and stretching. In Pilates, there is no spiritual aspect as in yoga, and the training is much more intense and targets a larger number of parts of the body. Some claim that the results are visible even after the first training when the muscles will already start to get in shape and you will feel much stronger.
Celebrities like Naomi Campbell and Cameron Diaz are some of the biggest fans of Pilates and have been practicing it for years. Practicing Pilates can be especially useful for those who have recently had some bodily injuries because exercising will accelerate the healing of wounds and strengthen the injured parts. Also, Pilates speeds up metabolism, lung capacity, but also the elasticity of our body.
Psychological Aspects of Yoga and Pilates
Although yoga and Pilates are equally healthy physical activities with many (mostly similar) benefits, the main difference between them is the psychological aspect. While practicing yoga is considered to lead a certain conscious life and monitor one’s psychological energy, Pilates insists predominantly on the physical aspect.
Even though Pilates is a better option for those who want to get their bodyline in order and gain strength quickly, yoga offers almost the same benefits that will come after practicing it for a little longer. In accordance with your needs, organism, and preferences, it is necessary to choose the appropriate training that will satisfy your body.
Misconception
The common image in yoga and Pilates studios around the world is that most practitioners are women. Roughly, that ratio is 80 % to 20 % in favor of women. Does this mean that these two ways of exercising only help women and that the men who exercise them have simply strayed there?
It is true that regular yoga and Pilates are equally beneficial for both women and men. So, then, where is the problem of the absence of more men in the studios? We think that this is probably due to insufficient information, the existence of wrong preconceptions, lack of interest, a different system of values and priorities, and perhaps the fear of trying something different from standard types of recreation.
Summing Up
The fact is that both yoga and Pilates will improve quality of life, bad habits (or habits that are not bad but are practiced excessively, such as sitting in front of the TV for a long time, eating delicious but not so healthy food, obsessive instead of moderate sports betting on the best online bookmakers classified according to countries of origin – whether they are the best bookmakers in Ireland, USA, Germany …), help you return to form faster, flexibility – and all this without major risks of injury.
This was it for today. I hope you have enjoyed reading about Yoga and Pilates and how they are helpful for our health and lifestyle. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
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