Pilates and Yoga …. They are the same…right..?
Yoga and Pilates have often been tarred with the same brush due to the ample lyrca, chilled music and focus on “self”. Despite this I can’t reiterate enough that they are from completely different back grounds and have an entirely different focus. Pilates stems from the days of World War one when German born Joseph Pilates noted that wounded soldiers were not improving when lying sedentary in hospital beds. Protocols of exercises were deployed to strengthen the core and bring soldiers round to health. Yoga on the other hand has been around since the 5-6th century with a primary focus on physical, mental and spiritual practise. It is derived form the Buddhist and Hindu communities and is said to open the mind through practise such as mediation. Yoga has now branched into several practises each designed to embrace a separate spiritual entity and challenge the body in very different ways physically. Pilates has always had an element of floor and machine based activities to help strengthen the core but over time there have been quite literally 100s of progressions made to the exercises. There was said to be only two truly trained Pilates instructors educated by Joe him self and after his death in a fire in his own studio, the world of Pilates immerged and evolved through out the UK and Australia.
Popularity rating for both practises is near enough equally rated with both exploding onto the sorts scene. Pilates itself was originally used with ballet population whilst yoga’s popularity was sparked by both the dance and football community. Being both a bit of yogi and a trained Pilates instructor I can see the benefits of both. Personally I feel Pilates is more suited to strengthening the core in a more controlled environment but both are involving in increasing strength, focus on breathing ( with an element of “self” awareness and mindfulness.) Despite their differences I am exceptionally enthuisaitic about you delightful lot moving. So remove your self from your desk, grab your lycra and lets see what you are capable of. Ps it’s always more than you think!