Are you interested in yoga and Pilates but don’t know which to choose? Discover the differences and find out which is best for you.
People often talk about Pilates and yoga classes in the same breath. The truth is, whilst the two share similarities, and most of the exercise equipment used in each is the same, but they come from very different roots and have different goals. How do you know which is best for you?
Yoga
Yoga stems from ancient practices and is based on stillness, meditation and using the breath to encourage stretching in the muscles and ligaments. Today’s yoga classes can be fast-paced, with flowing movements, and can even be conducted in heated rooms. But at its roots, yoga is about sitting with the breath, finding your stillness, and encouraging the body to open up. Modern yoga classes offered in fitness centres, gyms and by Personal Trainers tend to focus on yoga’s ability to provide a great stretch to the body and assist with range of movement. Classes will often start with a flow called Sun Salutation before moving through other familiar poses, like a Warrior sequence. Yoga can be relaxing or challenging, and may even feel like a cardiovascular workout if you choose a faster-paced style of class.
You might choose to teach yoga if you:
- Enjoy learning flowing movements and choreographing yoga poses
- Prefer to teach a slower-paced style of class
- Don’t want to teach exercise to music or prefer to use calming music
- Want to offer clients a gentle, holistic form of exercise
- Wish to specialise in teaching yoga to specific populations
You might choose to go to yoga classes if you:
- Are looking for a class that will give you a good stretch
- Want to find time to relax, learn to unwind, and use breathing techniques
- Feel stiff, tight or sore from your exercise or daily lifestyle
- Like the idea of encouraging a better posture and more range of movement
- Don’t like fast-paced, loud, sweaty, group exercise classes
Pilates
Pilates focuses on your body’s natural movements with gentle, precise exercises with target your postural muscles. Like yoga, you work with your breath, but unlike yoga, Pilates uses specific exercises, rather than held poses. Pilates can improve posture, joint mobility, strength and flexibility and is a great tool for getting people out of back pain or minimising the chances of postural pain in the future. It’s also a good choice for women, particularly after pregnancy, as it targets the core and pelvic area.
You might choose to teach Pilates if you:
- Are interested in helping clients improve their posture in everyday life
- Want to focus on teaching core strength
- Have a target client base that wants to develop a taller, leaner looking body
- Want to deeply-immerse yourself in learning about the Pilates system and its exercises
- Would like to really specialise in a niche offering
You might choose to go to Pilates classes if you:
- Experience problems with your posture or have joint pain
- Have a need to improve your balance and co-ordination
- Are coming back to exercise after injury or back pain
- Want to really get control of your core, abs or pelvic floor
- Enjoy a structured type of workout with clear progress
Are you interested in teaching yoga or Pilates? Which would suit your personality and style of teaching best?
