The Differences Between Yoga and Pilates

Yoga vs. Pilates? We settle the score.

 By Nextfit Trainer Alycea Ungaro 

Yoga and Pilates Fusion Workouts

Wander into any gym or exercise studio and you are bound to find classes with interesting titles heralding some type of “fusion” workout. Yolates, PiYoga, and Yogilates are just a few examples of combined Yoga and Pilates routines that claim to offer the best of both worlds and profess to be bigger, better and more effective. But do they work? 

To determine if these hybrid routines are truly superior to the systems they combine, it’s important to understand the differences between Yoga and Pilates, and what is unique about each exercise system.

What are the Goals of Yoga?

Since it’s been around about 2000 years longer (if we’re fact-checking), let’s start with Yoga. The practice of Yoga has a rich history that spans the globe. Spiritually, Yoga reaches beyond our humble planet and extends into the heavens: The original mission of Yoga was to cleanse and purify the body to receive the Divine Power of God. Today, while many still preserve this as their practice goal, others use it to promote health, fitness, and mental stability.

To achieve the full benefits of this practice, Yoga practitioners push their bodies and minds to the limit through a variety of strategies. In a Yoga class, you can expect to hold challenging positions, assume difficult postures, regulate your breathing, and, perhaps most demanding of all, attempt to quiet your mind. Classes often incorporate chanting and always end with resting postures to prepare the body for re-entry into everyday activities.

What are the Goals of Pilates?

Developed only 90 years ago by Joseph Pilates, the Pilates method is a purely physical experience that