Choose yoga or pilates, which one suits me best?

Yoga or Pilates?

Yoga began 5,000 years ago in India, has continued to evolve over the centuries and is influenced by various cultures until now various types of yoga are created, from Ashtanga, Kripalu, Bikram, to Vinyasa.

Pilates is a contemporary version of yoga. Pilates was developed around the 20th century by an athlete, Joseph Pilates, in Germany. He created a series of physical exercises as a form of rehabilitation and strengthening, with a focus on postural core muscle control.

Both carry the understanding that body and mind are two things that are interrelated with each other. However, yoga adds one distinguishing element: the soul. Exploring the soul and spirituality takes up a significant portion of the practice of yoga as a whole, especially through meditation.

Meanwhile, Pilates creates the principle of the connection between body and mind, and how they can help you in your daily life.

Which one is more suitable for me?

If your priority is restoring your body after an injury or strengthening weak joints, pilates has an edge over yoga.

Rachel Compton, Pilates director of Elixr Health Club Sydney, said that pilates can increase the body's core strength and stability to restore vitality after a joint injury. Pilates has been used for many years by physiotherapists to help manage and heal injuries by strengthening the muscles that support joints, as well as to prevent possible injury later in life.

If your goal is to "get away" from stress and daily routines to refocus, choose yoga. Yoga helps you achieve and maintain a balance between body, mind and spirit. Yoga practice combines all the movements and postures you need for general health and well-being, incorporating relaxation techniques, breathing and meditation to achieve spiritual serenity and peace.

If you are a runner or a dancer, these two sports can have equally different benefits for your body.

Yoga is the ideal sport if stretching and flexibility are your primary goals. Stretching from yoga movements can help manage muscles that are worn out after continuous use for running.

Yoga classes range from light and calming to heavy sweats. Bikram, or hot yoga, is done in a room with a temperature setting of up to 40 degrees Celsius. With a variety of yoga classes, there is always a type of yoga that fits each person's needs.

Pilates practice challenges your core and strengthens your back and spine, arms, hips, inner thighs and abs. For those of you who are runners, Pilates can correct unbalanced posture and train body movements to be more efficient, thereby reducing the risk of injury.

Both of these exercises can help you lose weight if they are done regularly and regularly, although neither of them requires you to engage in vigorous physical aerobic activity, such as boxing, running, or cycling. One 60-minute yoga session, depending on the type of yoga you are doing, can burn 200-630 calories. Doing pilates for 60 minutes can burn 270-460 calories per session, depending on the level of difficulty.

The good news is, you don't have to choose. If you don't know where to start, try both and see which benefits you the most. Many people do yoga and pilates together to get a balance of the benefits of the two.

But, if you already have a specific goal, focus the practice on just one practice so that you can get optimal benefits.