Yoga, the most ancient oriental system of maintaining a healthy mind , body and soul is the rage with all of the fitness freaks who are looking for ways and means to reduce their weight. Many are found to prefer pilates too. Fitness and health consciousness is increasing. People are making lifestyle changes to maintain a healthy living style.
While both pilates and yoga do improve the body condition, reduce weight and improve energy levels and fitness, yoga also works on the mind and emotional state of the individual and helps him to get calmer and peaceful.
Though people who take up Yoga do find that they sweat and get the same effect as that of working out in a gym, the Yoga method works differently. Yoga works through building the awareness of your body parts , activating them and initiating controlled movements . The movements are fluid and slow and not rigorous like other workouts.
While yoga calls for fluid and slow movements, pilates involve exercising the body parts and building fitness through high speed physical activity demanding higher levels of energy. They are aimed at toning and building flexibility in all parts of the body.
Athletes and dancers it is seen, favour pilates to work out . Pilates training provides overall body toning and co-ordination increasing energy levels . A fit and flexible body with stamina is what these people achieve with pilates training.
Between the choices available to us , we need to choose either yoga or pilates depending upon what suits us best. While pilates works on the body fitness and flexibility with its stretching, bending and other physical intense workouts that increases the heart beat and helps metabolism, Yoga works not only on the body fitness but give you a overall healthy body, mind and soul.
Choice between pilates and yoga is not easy if you are not sure of what you want. Try taking a short course in both the systems to get a first hand feel. By the end of it, you can make your choice.
Another option could be to build both the systems in your routine. You can always work out using both the methods and keeping a balance.
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