Joseph Pilates used many exercise genres when he developed his original exercises method; exercises which were meant to help patients recover while he was stationed in a medical unit during World War 1. He was a veteran to anything exercise related and studied martial arts, yoga and zen meditation. He was a boxer, a diver, and a gymnast. When he came to the United States, from his New York Studio, his Pilates method of exercises was quickly adopted by dancers to improve posture.
Pilates is a practice of core strengthening exercises. A good Pilates program will provide exercises that touch every muscle group in the body; building strength, flexibility and improving posture. The idea is a quality over quantity theme where when practicing correct alignment you can focus on different body parts and still gain benefits throughout the body. Utilizing specific engaged muscles affords an efficient exercise even while performing fewer repetitions. Pilates exercises promote strength without muscle bulk. The connection of the breath to the movement and the focus on alignment of the spine improve the mind-body connection.
In short, Pilates is intended to provide a strong, toned and healthy body.
Yoga was developed over 5000 years ago and used by every generation since. The ancient art of mind-body connected poses strengthen and lengthen our bodies. The practice of Yoga may have changed throughout the centuries, but we can adapt the basic teachings even in our lives now.
Yoga is a practice of postures intended to bring ultimate health and fitness to your body and mind. It is a practice that uses the breath to bring the mind's focus into the body and enhance the practice's benefits of strength, flexibility and mental clarity and calmness. Moving through your yoga practice you will practice standing, sitting, kneeling, prone and reclined poses. Inversions, twists, side stretches, balancing poses and muscle lengthening bring balance into your body.
The yogic result? A lighter feeling throughout the body and mind. Stress relief at its best.
The Combination...
If we combine the two practices, we can add the postural benefits and core strength of Pilates into our yoga practice and add the flexibility and mental awareness of yoga into our Pilates practice.
Yoga postures will improve. You will be able to stand taller, contract your core more efficiently and add strength to every pose. Your Pilates practice will improve with the added flexibility, balance and awareness that yoga brings.
Many Pilates exercises are derived from yoga postures. You will clearly see the similarities. Sometimes when I teach a mixed class of yoga and Pilates I will practice the Pilates exercise and then hold in the yoga pose that it was derived from for added flexibility.
Many Pilates exercises promote flexibility in their own right, but they provide added core strength as you are usually contracting your abdominal and stabilizer muscles while you move. By using core strength while holding correct alignment, you often work your whole body simply to move correctly in the exercise.
On the other hand, the core strength that Pilates provides assists in all of the balancing postures of Yoga. I am forever telling people to stay strong through their core when moving through certain poses, when practicing strength training, when doing mostly anything.
Building your core strength - and that means your powerhouse section: that band across your lower abs, lower back, and hips - greatly reduces the risk of hurting your lower back. Lower back injury is probably the most common injury that afflicts people of all sizes and shapes.
Another cause of concern is poor posture. Your body is out of balance if you have poor posture and most people are out of balance from work related repetitive movements. Both Yoga and Pilates improve posture and bring balance into the body; realigning the spine.
You can practice each form of exercise separately or find a combination class near you. There are workout videos for both and for combinations as well. Try it at home, or try it at a local studio.
Please be safe and check with your doctor before beginning any new exercise program.
By Kathi Duquette
Certified Yoga Instructor
Certified Personal Trainer
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