Pilates or yoga?

If you don't like hatha yoga, try ashtanga perhaps or a dynamic vinyassa flow yoga. They're an amazing work out. I've done every type of yoga over 30 years now and know what works for me. It's kept me amazingly flexible (can still comfortably do the crab, headstands and so on at 53) intend to keep it up to help me age with flexibility and with good balance which is hugely important as we age.

Pilates is better for core.

Pilates has higher standards and certification on who is allowed to teach it, you get some really bad classes taught by inexperienced instructors (not all though, there are also great very experienced yoga instructors about, but the minimum standards are lower). Pilates is favoured by my 2 physio friends.

yoga usually has more availability and you should be able to find a few classes to choose from so you can choose the type that appeals more.

I love pilates and barre. I have always found yoga to be too slow and too stretch focused. I don't need or want the spiritualism that comes with it, I just want to get strong and flexible.

I’m taking femara (letrazole) since 2019. I would heartily recommend reformer Pilates, I loved it before my cancer treatment but even more since, it stretches me in ways nothing else does. I would love to get on with yoga but despite many attempts it is just not for me.

(Iyengar or yin yoga will be the best for pure physical stretch and movement to complement running and zero ohms. Where are you based? The iyengar institute in Maida Vale is brilliant)

“Yoga” covers such a broad range of class that it’s hard to compare. In either case, get an instructor who is properly qualified and has been teaching for a long time, and who will provide adjustments (physical if you are ok with that). Bad Pilates classes are pointless and bad yoga classes can cause serious injuries. A good Pilates mat class with reformer thrown in if you can find it would be my pick - but Pilates has suddenly turned into a big business any anyone with an NVQ in sports is pretending to be a teacher. With a decent teacher who is looking at your alignment and constantly talking - teaching rather than simply saying the name of the different moves- the mind / breath / body dynamic can be phenomenal - it’s absolute concentration for me and I love it but I’ve kissed a lot of frogs to find my Pilates prince / ess. If they’re not taking you through which muscle you’re engaging and how you should be achieving the movement, skip to the next one. Most chain gym classes are not Pilates, they’re a bit of a stretch. If you can find a retired ballet dancer you should get a phenomenal class.

There are classes like that. My lovely hot yoga being one if only I could tolerate the heat. You never know until you go in and try, at least I've never been able to tell where reviews are available.

I agree that some can be quasi religious, as a pp said, in a way, and spend too much time on it. The breathing during exercises I've found helpful for endurance but not when it's combined with a meditation and sitting for too long.

@CampervanKween that's a shame, I hope you manage to find a different class, my instructor has never 'ommed' and concentrates on getting us all a bit fitter!

No, I find it quasi religious and deeply irritating 😒 one class I did, the guy said "now we will do 15 minutes of breathing and om work". I picked up my mat and slid out never to return.....

@CampervanKween i have never ommed at yoga, am I missing out?!

Have you tried Les Mills body balance? It's a mixture of Tai chi, yoga and pilates done to great tunes. I have the app which you can get through tesco clubcard vouchers for £40 for a year. I love body balance. Do one most mornings.

I also do yoga and pilates classes separately in the evening at my gym because I work from home as well and feel the need to socialise. I prefer yoga, but don't like onmming so don't do that type of class.

I do both. They are quite different, for me yoga is more holistic but nothing beats Pilates for core strength and posture. I definitely enjoy yoga more.

I am a big fan of both yoga and Pilates. I go to both, however in recent years there seem to be more Pilates classes than yoga available at my local gym. I think either practice will deliver the same benefits, noting that yoga has a meditation/relaxation element to it too. Good luck!

Can you do one of each per week? Pilates is exercise and as pp have said, great for core strength. Vinyasa yoga is a flow and usually less om than hatha or yin for example and will help with your flexibility and yes I love both (teach both)

What I love about yoga is that it gives the impression you're doing something quite gentle but it's not.

I'd had a year's break from it and started doing this one at home. It seemed pretty easy but after the first time I ached for about three days afterwards!

I'm all in on yoga. I find Pilates an 'exercise class', where as yoga i find gives so much more. I've being doing a yoga class every day for 9 months and I am the strongest, most flexible, leanest and fittest I've ever been.

I'm also a 52 year old runner. I've been doing one or two Pilates classes a week since September. It has made a huge difference, and has really helped with all my background, niggly aches and pains.

Generally speaking Pilates is for strength and alignment and yoga less for strength but does improve flexibility - can you do a bit of both!?

If I had to choose I'd choose yoga as it's so good for body and mind but I do both.

@SheerLucks Pilates is now just what was called Body Conditioning in the 80s.

It really is not.

I have done both and find Pilates absolutely fantastic for all over body strength and flexibility, make sure your teacher is well trained though. I’m 57 and Pilates has helped so much with aches and pains which have come with the menopause.

Like others I really disliked the “om” stuff which comes with yoga.

I don't like the 'om' aspect either @TrishTrix

I like bikram but find the heat intolerable now.

Either will be good. From my experience, yoga tends to be more hippy-getting-in-touch-with-your-chakras and Pilates tends to be more like a straight exercise class. But, as PPs have said, this can very much depend on the style and teacher. I’ve done both, just because of what was available at a time and venue that suited me, and benefitted from both.

Pilates is now just what was called Body Conditioning in the 80s.

Yoga IME is so much better - next level stuff.

Oh and I've also had some assisted stretch recently. It is fab at making you feel all loose and limber. I thought it was a gimmick but would rather do that now than have a massage.

I find the "om" aspect of yoga off putting and have been doing regular pilates for years (currently a typical week is a reformer session in a private studio pilates setting and 2 mat classes at my gym).

I am noticeably more flexible, stronger and less injury prone since I restarted this routine after a covid induced hiatus (I really didn't get on with online classes at all). I've also changed shape although I haven't really lost any weight.

However, my gym also has a tonne of yoga classes and I've started going to one particular yoga class once a week as I like the teacher and they don't do masses of the spiritual stuff. I find it complements the pilates well but if I had to choose one I'd stick with the pilates.

Depending on where you live pilates can be a bit variable. I find the classes at the smaller dedicated pilates studios tend to be better than big "gym" classes in London but they also cost more. I also like the variety of classes they tend to offer e.g reformer, mat, spine corrector compared to the classes at my gym and at the gym there are a couple of teachers I actively avoid and a couple I follow all over London to different gym branches.

I hurt my back earlier in the week and whereas in the past I might have tried to see a physio I simply booked a private pilates class with one of my regular teachers. She had me up and moving and back at work (physical healthcare role) the following day with a list of exercises to do at home. In theory I've done enough pilates & have enough anatomy knowledge to work out which exercises I should do for myself but I found the knowledgable input really helpful.