Yoga and Pilates are immensely popular workouts among fitness freaks looking to lose some weight. Confused about which one is better for you? Scroll down!
Yoga and Pilates are two of the most popular forms of workout regimes today. Both are low-impact exercises that bring numerous benefits with them, leading to overall well being and weight loss. While Yoga originated in India thousands of years ago and slowly gained popularity all over the world, Pilates was developed in the 20th century by a German anatomist and quickly gained a place of prominence amongst fitness enthusiasts all over the globe.
Yoga
Yoga originated in India about 5000 years ago, and its mention can be found in ancient sacred books of the time. It is a holistic workout regime that aims to connect your mind with your body. It improves flexibility and integrates your action, intelligence and emotions by a perfect amalgamation of breathing, exercise and meditation. Over the years, different kinds of Yoga like Hatha, Kundalini, Bikram and Iyengar were developed that have their own dedicated flowers across the globe.
Apart from increasing your flexibility and focus, Yoga also works towards uprooting several medical conditions from your system like anxiety, diabetes, high blood pressure, stress, arthritis and respiratory diseases. It helps you calm your mind, energise your soul, and tone and strengthen your body.
Pilates
Devised by Joseph Pilates, the basic principle of this regime involves breathing, control, concentration, precision and flow. This workout regime entails multiple benefits like posture correction, building core strength, flexibility, balance and of course weight loss. Most popular form of Pilates is the mat Pilates, which is a combination of Yoga, dance and callisthenics. There are other popular forms as well which are conducted with equipment like Cadillac, reformer and barrel.
Which is better?
Both Yoga and Pilates are extremely disciplined regimes that require you to have a routine and challenge your body through different postures and forms, both of which are extremely important for weight loss.
Before performing Yoga, be mindful of the fact that it requires great flexibility and joint mobility, so several of its poses will not be suitable for people suffering from certain medical conditions. Yoga has alternative poses and forms depending on your condition and hence its best to choose the one that best fits you. Though low-impact and great for older adults, Pilates too can be challenging for many.
When it comes to weight loss, Yoga has proven to be more beneficial as it works comprehensively on your entire body. Pilates, on the other hand, is considered to be perfect for muscles toning and core strengthening. However, when followed religiously, both the regimes have proven to have magical effect on your body.
