The difference between Yoga and Pilates

Photo: CHRIS COLLS

Both practices are great sources of workout, both for the body and the mind. Yoga and pilates have proven health benefits and may seem very similar but are as a matter of fact quite different. What links them together is the power of breath work but here is what separates these two wildly popular practices.

Yoga:

The exact origin of yoga is unknown but has been around for about 3000 years with roots in shamanism, Buddhism, and other Eastern religions.There are many different types of yoga, but generally yoga is about holding and flowing through a series of poses (like downward dog, tree pose, warrior pose and cobra) that utilize your body weight as resistance. The focus is on improving balance, flexibility and the mind-body connection. It combines physical activity with mindful focus and for that reason yoga is not only a workout for many people, but also a chance to destress and recenter themselves. As opposed to Pilates where the mind-body focus isn’t as strong this is a reason many tend to practice yoga for the beneficial mindfulness part of the workout as well as of course strengthen your body from within.

Overszied blazer in check

Filippa Hägg

bag

the row

tights

Filippa k

ribbed yoga top

arket

sneakers

New balance

Ribbed Yoga Top from ARKET. Tights from FILIPPA K. Sneakers from NEW BALANCE. Oversized blazer in check from FILIPPA HÄGG. Bag from THE ROW.

Pilates:

Pilates was created by Jospeh Pilates during World War I with the intention of helping injured soldiers regain their health by strengthening, stretching, and stabilizing certain muscles. Pilates is a disciplined low-impact practice that requires small movements done with a lot of precision which challenges your muscles. Pilates is at a slightly higher pace than yoga and can be done on a mat or on specialized equipment called Reformer which many of us know as the extremely popular workout method Megaformer. Pilates focuses heavily on core strength and stability where the movements are strengthening and lengthening the muscles at the same time as producing long, lean, beautiful lines.

Try them out for yourself and see which one you like the most – personally we love them both!

Photo: CHRIS COLLS