Trying to figure out your workout routine can be tricky. Some people prefer high-intensity workouts. For some, just stretching is enough. If you’re looking to find peace and calm in life and also within your mind and soul, you can try pilates and yoga.
Pilates and yoga are similar, low-impact workouts. You might have heard of PiYo or Yogilates—there are different variations at gyms or studios across the globe. Both of these workouts have evolved over the years. So, how do you choose between the two? Should you combine them?
In this guide, we’ll discuss combining pilates and yoga for holistic happiness. They have similar poses that often overlap, so you won’t need to separate workout sessions. Once you choose your routine, find affordable yoga classes and beginner Pilates classes in NYC through FitEngine.
Benefits Of Pilates and Yoga
If you want a balanced lifestyle, you will benefit from pilates and yoga. It’s easy to develop the habit of doing these exercises. They offer you a break from your busy life.
Sometimes, you need a workout that’s more than just building muscles and working on your physique. If you’ve ever wanted to relieve stress from your body when your mental health is unstable, pilates and yoga are the solutions.
Basics Of Pilates And Yoga
Before you join any beginner yoga or Pilates classes in NYC, you need to know about the basics of these exercises. Once you understand the basics and benefits, you can determine how you want to use them for your lifestyle.
There are three elements in Yoga: Asanas, Concentration, and Pranayama. The first one, Asanas, is the yoga poses. You’re elongating your body and stretching across different movement places. Pranayama is all about breathing. You will master the breaching technique for inner tranquility and calm. And Concentration combines both elements for a meditative state of awareness.
When you start doing yoga, it will positively impact your mental and physical health. It helps create harmony between your mind and body. If you experience mental breakdowns often, yoga will help you achieve mental stability with a healthy mindset.
Pilates is all about building on your healthy mind. It will help strengthen everything you’ve done during yoga. With pilates, you can strengthen your core and create a balanced yet powerful body.
Pilates movements are much more dynamic than yoga. They are beneficial for your body’s control, strength, and endurance. You don’t need equipment either—your body weight will provide resistance. However, you can use foam rollers, rings, small weights, or balls.
Just like yoga, pilates is also about flexibility. Once you start doing pilates and/or yoga, you’ll be able to maintain a strong posture even when you’re sitting at your desk in front of a computer or laptop. Both help increase your energy and fitness levels.
Doing Yoga And Pilates Together
As we mentioned above, pilates and yoga have many similarities. They focus on flexibility, breathing, mind-body connection, and a person’s range of motion. These are essential elements for both these exercises.
When you combine pilates and yoga into a single mega workout, you’re reaping various benefits. You can also do pilates and yoga on the same day in different workouts to maximize the flexibility and strength you’re getting—mentally and physically.
It’s very unlikely to find a teacher or instructor who specializes in both pilates and yoga at the same time. However, you can always attend separate yoga and pilates classes in NYC. If you become proficient enough, you can combine the two and do your workout at any fitness class.
Along with the similarities, there are differences as well. Here is why you should do pilates and yoga together:
- Pilates will help you strengthen, and yoga will help you lengthen your sore muscles.
- Yoga helps you focus on your mental well-being, whereas pilates will help you focus on your physical well-being.
- With both pilates and yoga, you’ll learn new breathing techniques and become more disciplined.
- You will understand the connection your body’s movements have with your mind.
Which One Should You Do First?
It depends on what you want and how you feel on a particular day. If you want to feel more mentally focused and calm, you can start with yoga. If you’re looking for something more physically challenging, you can either do pilates or some vigorous yoga poses.
Pilates exercises help you therapeutically challenge and move your body. They help you control your physical movements to achieve core strength and stability. So, your exercise order will depend on how you want to combine yoga with pilates.
If you choose vigorous yoga, it will be a warm-up pre-Pilates session. For cool-down post-Pilates, you can try a gentler form of yoga. If you don’t want to start with yoga, you can skip it. Start with a strength-focused Pilates session, and then listen to your body and mind as you go.
For more fitness guides and reliable information, visit FitEngine. We have several blogs on different workouts for a healthy mind and body. You can also find affordable fitness, dancing classes, beginner pilates classes, and beginner yoga online in NYC on our website.
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