Should You Do Pilates or Yoga?

Pilates and yoga have plenty in common. Both build strength and flexibility, and both ask you to pay attention to your body while you move. They’re still different workouts, though, and depending on what you want, one may suit you better than the other.

Pilates

Pilates is low-impact and very focused on your core. You do a series of controlled movements that work the deep muscles in your belly and lower back, and what you get out of it is a strong, stable middle and better posture. It’s also good for flexibility and range of motion. If you sit at a desk all day, or your back gives you trouble, it’s worth a look.

Yoga

Yoga works on strength and flexibility too, through a series of poses that stretch and strengthen you. There’s more emphasis on breathing, slowing down, and paying attention, so it tends to be the more relaxing of the two. It can help with balance and coordination as well, and a lot of people find it helps with stress and with feeling better in general.

So Which One?

Start with what you want out of it, and with what you’ll actually enjoy enough to keep doing. If you’re after core strength and better posture, Pilates is probably the better pick. If you mostly want to bring your stress down and feel calmer, I’d lean toward yoga. Honestly, either one is good for you, and nobody says you can’t do both.