Is Pilates Better Than Yoga for Flexibility?

Yoga and Pilates are popular among people who want a casual workout while receiving the mental and physical benefits of engaging in physical activity. While they seem similar, they differ slightly, most notably in what they do for flexibility. Let’s break down the tale of the tape to determine if Pilates is better than yoga for flexibility.

What Yoga Offers You

Yoga offers many benefits to people seeking pain relief and a mental cleanse. It may help to relieve headaches, neck discomfort, and nagging lower back pain. Yoga’s meditation practices appeal to many people because of the mental peace. Regularly practicing yoga can even increase balance and flexibility in some capacity.

Many people like yoga because it’s gentle on the body and has a minimal risk of injury. Yoga is for everybody! People of all ages and health conditions can enjoy yoga without concern. It is relatively stationary with comfort in mind, so you don’t have to worry about overextending yourself beyond your limits.

Yoga has proven that contemplative and spiritual activities may alleviate mental health conditions, including stress and anxiety.

What To Expect From Pilates

You could consider Pilates as yoga dialed up to 10. Pilates is great for strengthening your abdomen and back. Fortifying these areas of your body can improve your posture. Pilates practitioners often experience increased mobility and flexibility in their joints and muscles.

Pilates is a low-impact, low-intensity form of exercise. Some people feel that the reduced intensity of their workouts has a calming effect. Moreover, most people who have tried Pilates said it strengthened their core muscles, particularly the back and abdominals.

Since Pilates has a slow and regulated tempo, it helps to relax and quiet the mind. Many Pilates practitioners find it psychologically healing. As with yoga, people with anxiety conditions may benefit from Pilates.

The Minor Differences

As you can see from these two forms of exercise, the principles are virtually the same. However, a few things differentiate them. Yoga appeals to the spirit. It includes many “holding” poses that encourage you to focus on your breathing rather than strengthening your muscles. Though Pilates is low impact, it is more strenuous than yoga.

Pilates Is the Answer for Improved Flexibility

Regardless of which you choose to do, you can almost always guarantee you will become more nimble. The movements in yoga and Pilates activate your joints and muscles, so your flexibility should increase. You may feel more agile over time!

Let’s say you want to peel apart the differences between the two. In that case, Pilates could be a somewhat more effective method of increasing flexibility than yoga because it emphasizes physical activity and mobility rather than just stretching. The extra motions in Pilates may also tax muscles and joints more than yoga, leading to better flexibility.

Since Pilates is better than yoga for flexibility, you may steer your exercise routine in that direction with a Pilates wall bar from Beyond Balance. When using your body weight for exercises, nothing beats the versatility and effectiveness of using a wooden stall bar. We have created our Pilates Mobility Tower with several attachments to ensure you get the most out of your workout!