exercise performer pilates

Yoga, pilates and a lot of other mental-physical exercises are all the rage these days. Of all of them, yoga, pilates are the most popular. Not questionable, considering that the two are of the same origins. Sources say that pilates got its beginnings from yoga. Joseph Pilates reportedly got his positions from ancient yoga movements, and created an exercise program from them.

Yoga, pilates and other such exercises often focus on alignment and correct form more than repetitions. They teach flexibility, stability and improve muscle strength through graceful, smooth movements. Like yoga, pilates also gives premium to correct diaphragmatic breathing to improve blood circulation. The two have basic differences – stationary poses are a stable for yoga, pilates focuses on graceful movement.
Other differences exist. While some principles are the same, the big picture or holistic approach of both yoga, pilates are very different. Pilates is more for the optimum functioning and exercising of the muscles. This method helps a person gain strength, develop good posture and build up flexibility of your muscles to help physical performance. Yoga is different mainly because of its spiritual element. Yoga claims it is not a mere exercise, but a lifestyle change. Health is the primary goal of yoga, both spiritually, mentally and physically. One expert likens yoga to a more personal journey – you can with various poses, you can choose which positions feels right to you. Pilates is more rigid as a program. It follows certain sets and repetitions. It also has more structure and is stricter in perfecting positions. Because the principle of pilates is to work the muscles in a low-impact but highly effective way, the exercises must be done precisely to achieve the promised results. Yoga, on the other hand caters more to the inner well-being of the person, and is thus more concerned with a change in routine and achieving internal fitness. Yoga, pilates and other similarly constructed exercise methods are different in many other ways.

With all the craze surrounding these two - yoga, pilates - it is not surprising that many have decided to take the best of both worlds and combine the two. Yoga pilates, as the combination is sometimes called, attempts to take the benefits of the two and have the exercises required by the different methods and treat them as essentially supporting each other. For example, yoga pilates incorporates the strength and stability training of pilates to yoga postures thus enabling yoga poses to be sustained. Yoga, on the other hand increases flexibility, a vital aspect of maintaining balance while moving elegantly in Pilates. Yoga pilates mixes the two to achieve balance between movement and immobility.

Yoga pilates, also strengthens mind and body connection, much like the two methods do when they are taken separately. The mind of someone doing yoga pilates should be keenly attuned to the body through mental focus and proper breathing. This helps one relieve stress even while working out the body. Yoga pilates can also be used therapeutically, both for those with stress management problems and those with physiological ones.

The yoga-pilates combination is suggested by many experts. Exercising using both these methods will tone and exercise different parts of your mind and body. They tend to work both on flexibility and stability, on concentration and focus, on position and posture. They complement each other, and is a very healthy exercise blend. It just might work for you.