Recently joined a gym because your sister is getting married two months from now? Switching to healthy eating habits, vigorous cardio, and aerobic routines so that you can look good on your new job? Viewing hundreds of internet pages for tips and advices on exercises to lose weight fast?
If you are in such a dilemma and need quick visible results, this blog post will be of help to you.
All exercise junkies know that no stretch and all cardio will only make up for an aching body over the years. Exercises like yoga and pilates have therefore become increasingly popular among today’s generation. Although it is practically impossible to definitively claim that one particular form of of workout is the best exercise for weight loss, yoga is believed to be the most widely practiced one for weight loss.
But like they say, not everything is for everyone; our bodies react to the same things in different ways. Yoga may be doing wonders for some while others struggle to even burn countable calories. In order to know what works best, you need to compare the two and then reach a consensus as to what works best for your body and convenience.
Yoga or Pilates? What’s the difference?
Based on the following classification, each of the two exercise regimens are different in their own way.
1. Benefits
Yoga aims to give the body improved flexibility, increased blood circulation, and strength.
Pilates on the other hand, strengthens the body’s core by giving it a lean appearance.
2. Breathing techniques
During yoga, breathing is slow, deep and conscious.
When attempting pilates, breathing is done through nose and exhaled form the mouth.
3. Workout sessions/classes
Yoga classes are structured based on different poses. These poses or styles may vary from Ashtanga, Bikram or Kripalu.
Pilate classes are structured routines. Since the focus is on the core muscle strength, the regimens are more or less the same every time.
4. Connection
Focus is on all three elements (mind, body and soul) during yoga. This is achieved by mediation and deep breathing.
Pilates focuses solely on the mind-body connection.
So, which one is better for weight loss?
Weight loss is directly related to calories, suggests a 2007 study from the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. What does this mean for you? You need to burn more than you consume in order to start losing that not-so-good-looking flab clinging to your body in all the wrong places. Before choosing one over the other, you need to learn the basics. One pound of fat equals 3,500 calories, so if you are aiming to chunk of that fat 500 calories/day, you need to be working out for at least 30 minutes daily to drop 1 lb/week. A person who weighs 160 pounds will require one hour of pilates daily to burn approximately 270 to 460 calories/session whereas the same person resorting to yoga can burn up to 200-630 calories/session.
Either of the two will work for you if you are a beginner, but if you are a seasoned exerciser, Pilates will not help you pull off your excess weight magically. Yes, you may have more muscle flexibility, core strength, but weight loss, not so much. On the other hand, yoga doesn’t necessarily promise weight loss, but it does aid in improving your digestion and eradicates bloating, water retention and constipation.
If you are looking for recommendations, we suggest you incorporate both in your daily routine if you want to lose weight fast.
Still not sure? Ask the experts here. We offer the best knowledge and insights regarding yoga, pilates, and other fitness regimes and practices.
