Yoga or Pilates? Yogalates?

heyimbren · January 2011

I know, another healthy living post...

Does anyone here do (or tried) yoga or pilates? What about yogalates? I'm really interested in adding a class like that to my work out schedule once a week and my gym has a beginner's yoga class on Friday nights and yogalates on Saturday mornings. I think I'll try both this week to see which one I like better, but I was wondering if anyone on here has any experience with either one?

paintgirl · January 2011

I definitely prefer pilates. Yoga just seems too static. I spend the whole time thinking about things I should be doing instead of relaxing and finding some inner peace.

But it depends on the type of yoga or pilates and the instructor. The individual classes can vary greatly.

calindi · January 2011

I hate Pilates with a thousand firey suns. It hurts, and I actually end up straining my neck. I feel like you need a moderately good core strength before you start those exercises, or else you'll be seriously hurting.

I'm a big fan of Yoga. It's relaxing, good for your body (both flexibility and strength). You'd ideally need to do some cardio at another time in the week, but it's a fantastic workout.

Yogalates is basically both movements in one class. Again, I'd personally skip Pilates always. Sooooo not my thing.

Elle1036 · January 2011

I've never tried pilates. My gym offers great yoga classes that I enjoy somewhat, but yoga is really, really hard for me. I have the same flexibility as my kitchen table. I know, I know, all the more reason to keep going, but I prefer spin.

motoLyn · January 2011

Yoga, especially the one were I am in a heated room, is intense. I sweat like crazy but feel so awesome afterwards. The only pilates I've done is in a pilates studio with a reformer, but man oh man my core is sore (yes I rhymed) after a couple of sessions in there. Depends on what you're going for. Yoga is more mellow when I need time to clear my head.

bethsmiles · January 2011

My mom and my brother do Pilates and they both love it. My mom is a body builder and my brother is an athlete and they both use it to keep in shape. You have to have a good instructor though some really don't know what they are doing and you will end up getting hurt.

Cate - my guess is your instructor didn't know what they were doing.

Ember01 · January 2011

I love yoga! But, you have to have a good instructor. I have taken yoga with a bad instructor, and if it had been my first experience I probably wouldn't have gone back. The guy I go to is great. He pushes you into the different poses and really makes you stretch. At the beginning of each session he rubs your shoulders and loosens you up. At then end of the session, during corpse pose, he rubs your feet and/or your shoulders. I wish I could afford to go more often!

heyimbren · January 2011

I've never done either before, so I'm thinking maybe I should start with the beginner's yoga and then try out yogalates later if I'm still interested and want to move up?

I mainly want to incorporate some kind of strength/stretching into my fitness routine. I do cardio and weight training already, and I just want to mix it up some more.

So if I do yoga on a Friday night, should I refrain from doing anything else? Or is it okay to do some cardio then as well?

bethsmiles · January 2011

Definitely do cardio as well. I used to do yoga and I always did some cardio beforehand.

musikbx · January 2011

I didn't really like Pilates either. Perhaps because my class was at 7:00AM on a Friday. I also went into it expecting something more like yoga and less like exercise, so I was a bit surprised.

Yoga is great... it helped me a lot with pain and stiffness. I never really got to the point where it was relaxing though, it can be a bit stressful at first when you don't know what you're doing.

While I am no expert in either field, my one piece of advice would be to take a beginners course at a studio rather than a class at the gym. It's really great to start out with a teacher that knows you are inexperienced, and will be patient & give extra help. I have found that when taking classes at the gym, I sometimes feel left behind.

Wrkn925 · January 2011

I loved yoga when I did it. When you get better at it (i.e. Able to hold poses, heightened balance, deeper stretches) it's awesome. I really enjoyed having those little 'wins'.

Ember01 · January 2011

I think it depends on the type of yoga. A beginners class, you could probably do cardio before/after it. I have gone to a "hot and fast" and "long, slow, and deep" yoga classes, and I could barely move afterwards.

GreenPepperBurger · January 2011

I used to take yoga and pilates classes in high school for gym class. I like the way yoga makes me feel, but I feel like I get more of a workout with pilates.

desertsun · January 2011

I prefer Pilates. For me, yoga is too distracting. I get a better mind/body/relaxation thing going with pilates b/c I personally find it easier to focus on my breath while doing pilates. Also, I'm a former dancer, and there are certain things in common between ballet and pilates, and I find that appealing. I also really appreciate working my core, b/c I think a strong core is so important for a healthy body.

I don't think yoga provides any benefits for me that I can't get with other types of workouts that I enjoy more. I maintain a good level of flexibility using stretches I know work for me, learned from various videos, books, and my old ballet teacher. But if you don't know a lot of stretches, yoga might be a good way for you to get in touch with what feels best in your body.

It really cannot possibly be bad to try all 3 though, Bren, and then you'll know for yourself.

CASK85 · January 2011

I used to do a lot of yoga in collge. I loved it. But I did it at a little hippie dance studio where they really focused on centering yourself, and not just going through the poses, which is what the classes are like at my gym now (and I don't like them).

It would depend on what you want the yoga/pilates to do for you. Center you? Yoga. Bust your ass into shape? Pilates. Yogalates is nothing I've ever heard of, but I'm not a fan of bastardization of yoga. Call me eliteist. lol

loves2shop4shoes · January 2011

I love yoga. I've never taken a straight pilates class. I do take a lot of CoreFusion classes though. CoreFusion is a mix of yoga, pilates, and ballet and I love it. It's what helped me lose over 20 lbs. this summer.

katanne9 · January 2011

I love to do pilates. I find it to be more beneficial than yoga - but that's just my yoga experience.

I find pilates very relaxing and a GREAT workout! I have never been in better shape than when I was really consistent about my pilates classes.

Good luck!

Narwhal · January 2011

I love yoga. Pilates is too extreme for me. Yogalates is good for a nice workout, IMO. It's not high impact or anything, but you still get to sweating.

marleylikeair · January 2011

Bren, I love this question! As a dancer, I've taken lots of yoga and lots of pilates. Both have several syllabi and thus several different types, and you never know what you're going to run into.

My favorite yoga class ever was "power yoga." I don't know how widespread it is, but I heard from another teacher later that the breathing I'd learned from that class was the kind done in Astanga yoga. The power yoga class got me really warm and gave me a workout, but also gave me lots of opportunity to stretch. It incorporated some pilates, so maybe it *was* something like yogalates...?

My favorite pilates classes are the ones that really focus on breathing and alignment. That is, when the teacher tells you during the demonstration of each exercise where your pelvis should be and when you should breathe in and out. I always feel really good after a class like that--like I really worked, but worked efficiently.

I think yogalates or something that really gets you really warm and stretches you, too, will be your best bet. Steer clear of yoga classes that are too slow and/or static unless you plan to get your muscles good and warm beforehand. Even as an experienced mover, I strained my hamstrings once in a class like that because my muscles weren't warm before the class.

Yoga classes also vary a lot in terms of how much they talk about the mental/meditative aspects. I personally am not so into the ones that do, because I'm there for the physical aspect. Call me a glutton for punishment. We ballet dancers are like that.

Like PPs have said, it's really all about trying different classes and teachers and finding what you like best. Have fun! Can't wait to hear what you think of the classes!

leia1979 · January 2011

I love pilates. I've also taken two different yoga classes. One that didn't give me much of a workout (other than downward dog, which kills my shoulders), and an intermediate yoga class in which I thought I was going to die.

I prefer pilates, myself. It doesn't hurt my shoulders as much and I feel I get a better workout. Oddly enough, even though I'm out of shape, I seem to have enough core strength to do pilates. It's just that stubborn layer of fat on top!

teeniballerini · January 2011

It really depends on what you're looking to get out of the class. Pilates is purely aesthetic. It strengthens your core muscles like your abdominals and pelvic floor which are fundamental for good posture and overall spine health. It does focus on breathing while maintaining alignment.

Yoga is really more about creating a connection between your mind and body. The physical results are just a secondary outcome. Although if you're planning to take classes at a gym then most likely they are going to focus on the physical outcome, and you've lost whole point of yoga.

Before taking either class at a gym, I would recommend finding a specific yoga or pilates studio and try each one out. The classes are generally smaller so you can get more individualized attention and decrease the risk of possible injury. I've run into several instructors that really have no clue what they're doing, and calling it a pilates class was a total joke. If you decide to go the pilates route, be sure to ask if the instructor has a Pilates Method Alliance (PMA) recognized certification. You'll decrease your chances if getting a bad teacher.

My vote is to go with pilates, but I'm a certified pilates instructor so I might be a little biased If you have any question about PIlates feel free to ask.

niknik15 · January 2011

*raises hand slowly*
sorry I'm a little late to the discussion, but when I was in college I went to a PiYo class, which I'm thinking is what you are calling yogalates. I absolutely loved it!

I always rode my bike to class and back so that was my 'cardio' for the day. The class was just enough of both to help me relax but keep me moving so my mind didn't wander too much.

I also think it mostly depends on the teacher. I had a really good one, but every other Friday a different lady would teach it. I hated those days and ended up not coming for hers. It was slower and was barely a stretch.

So, it mostly depends on the teacher, but I would suggest the mix. Right now I'm sure there are a LOT of people starting classes so I'm sure they will help you learn the poses and not leave you behind.

Yoga or Pilates? Yogalates?

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