Yoga And Pilates Essay

Many can agree that “it is the mind itself which builds the body” (Joseph Pilates). Yoga and Pilates are both very popular practices and forms of exercise, commonly used in today’s society. These exercises are useful and beneficial for individuals of all ages. While they are being incorporated into peoples’ lives as a form of physical activity, they are chosen based off of the different workouts each one offers and the level of difficulty. It is crucial to know, however, that both are different and have substantially different benefits among them: the area of focus, benefits, emphasis, and alignment and type of stretching each one offers. Yoga, originated from Northern India more than 5000 years ago, is an ancient practice for the physical and mental well-being. It works on maintaining well physical posture as well as healthy dieting, breathing, relaxation, and meditation skills. It’s not only supposed to exercise the mind and body, but the spirit. On the other hand, Pilates was created more recently, 80 years ago in the early 20th century, and originated from Germany. It focuses on core postural muscles, the balancing of the body, and increases spine support due to the exercises commonly practiced. While Pilates focuses on “creating an understanding that the mind and body are connected and how this can help in everyday …show more content…
Yoga is anatomical, which means it relates to how the body structures itself. Conversely, Pilates is more of an exercise and makes an importance towards “deep abs and the pelvic floor while limbs are in motion” (sparkpeople). Stretching is another common difference between the two. While yoga is considered to be a static stretch, meaning you hold a position for a certain period of time to stretch that specific muscle group, Pilates is diversely dynamic and uses slow and controlled movements in order to