Earlier very often I asked myself a question whether yoga is better or pilates so I thought of finding the answer to it by exploring and experiencing it. To my wonder, I discovered that the yoga which I was practicing earlier was incomplete and the thing which completed it was pilates. Pilates plus yoga came out to be the perfect combination for the physical workout.
Slowly and gradually it became a part of my daily workout and I noticed that how each one improved my balance, strength, breathing capacity, flexibility and willingness to commit to something physical.
In my personal and professional life, the perfect pair of yoga and pilates brought me benefits at different phases of life be it switching jobs, moving into a new house or a new town which ultimately made me commit to being healthier and devoting to put myself first.
Yoga taught me to mentally balance work-life challenges in a better way whereas pilates made my muscles firm, brought my body into a perfect shape and increased my core strength. And as it is said when you look good you feel good as a result of that it helped me to maintain an invigorating and a calm mindset.
What I specifically love about practicing yoga and pilates together is almost every week I learn a new pose and gaining perfection in that specific pose is a challenge for me, and yes I love those breakthroughs!
The ability to teach and train my body differently each day is a something that makes my practice it regularly. I practice yoga and pilates on alternate days because of two major reasons firstly it kills boredom and secondly it helps me to achieve better performance in my professional life.
Yoga and pilates allow the body to move in many functional ways. To explore both practices regularly will bring a greater understanding of how we can get the most out of our bodies – whether it’s for restorative care, injury prevention, core conditioning, strength building, cognitive awareness or losing weight.
What else you should know?
Good for beginners?: Yes, initially you can start with basic yoga asanas and then head towards pilates poses. If you’re starting out opt for a class or private lessons so an instructor can make your initial experience a good and correct one.
Equipment required: All that you need is a mat, neither yoga nor pilates requires any sort of equipment for practice. you‘ ll use your own body weight instead of weights.
Where to Practice?: you can practice yoga and pilates either at your home or stroll to a park and do it there. Since yoga includes breathing exercises it is advisable to practice it in the open air.
What should be the Frequency?: I practice yoga and pilates on alternate days, but it solely depends on your body type you can practice them both simultaneously. Since pilates can be demanding initially you need to listen to your body and practice as often as it feels right for you.
What are the core benefits of the combo practice?: Yoga mainly benefits you in making a mental balance and takes you to the state of mindfulness on the other hand pilates’ main focus is on the core, however, you can expect to see strength gains in your arms and legs.
So if you have a question for which one is better out of yoga and pilates, my answer to it is both are a perfect workout combo, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF BOTH!