Pilates or Yoga?

[Royal Heart]

I don't know squat about pilates, but I can tell you that yoga is amazing for physical and mental health. The focus on the connection (or rather "lack of separation) between body and mind is really spectacular.

 

[KaraBulut]

That's a really tough question.

There are several different forms of yoga- Hatha is the beginner yoga, Ashtanga is the more intense yoga (which is what Madonna practices). There are several other types that vary in intensity and in the case of Bikram, the temperature of the room, even.

Pilates is a form of gymnastic exercise that focuses on stretching and strengthening the torso- particularly the spine.

You might start with a hatha class and see if you like it. If you like it, you can look at moving up to one of the more intense forms that require a bit more athleticism and effort.

 

[probable]

yah, i practice both (with the same instructor even) and i think the only real "emotional/ mental" benefit to pilates is the feeling of "i made it out alive!" that comes at the end of a class.

like karabulut says, the intensity of the yoga can vary based on form; but, i think in general the mind-body connection is more explicit in all of them than it is in pilates.

 

[Nomenclature]

Yoga's really bad for your spine, bones and tendons; it forces you to bend certain parts of your body in ways they're just not meant to bend.


I'd go with Pilates and weight training.

 

[Corny]

Ashtanga is the more intense yoga (which is what Madonna practices).

this could only be relevant (and known) on a gay message board

 

[EJMichaels]

I know people who teach both, and my impression is that with pilates it's more important to get the technique correct and therefore good classes are especially needed. There is a lot of yoga you can figure out without doing it wrong. You'll still need classes at the beginning either way. Yoga could be better as an all-purpose choice since you get strength, flexibility, and mind-body connection others here mentioned.

 

[KaraBulut]

Ashtanga is the more intense yoga (which is what Madonna practices).

this could only be relevant (and known) on a gay message board

That wasn't necessarily a recommendation.

 

[Royal Heart]

Does the instructor matter? I think there's hatha yoga I can take at my school gym, but then there's bikram yoga with possibly more reputable instructors at a place nearby.

I think the instructor matters: Some are more apt to take their time and really help students, while others go through the motions without really guiding you through them.

I had a co-worker who was a kickboxing gym body (seriously great guy), he went to a bikram yoga session and said he just about didn't make it; one of the most intense experiences. He really liked it, though, because it was challenging for his body and mind. As far as I know he kept going back.

I do hatha yoga at home which is really nice. I have a yoga mat and a really great DVD.

 

[dash17]

I do ashtanga yoga. It's an amazing workout.
It makes your body feel really clean, and firm/tight lol

 

[Limenade]

Whether you choose Pilate or Yoga, having a good teacher does matter. I don't think Yoga poses any more risks than Pilates--without proper instructions, you can hurt yourself in either one.

I have practiced Yoga quite consistently since 2004, and some of my Yoga teachers have incorporated aspects of Pilates into the routine--mostly to strengthen the core/abs. I practice mostly Hatha/Vinyasa, but have some experience with Iyengar and Anusara styles of Yoga.

In regards to intensity, Bikram may seem intense because classrooms are purposely heated to 90-F or above during class-sessions. You sweat like a dog--and this is why people talk about burning hundres of calories in Bikram Yoga, because you get rid of excess water retained in the body.

In my own experiences with Yoga, I've found that regardless of how these classes are labeled--beginner or intermediate or whatever--these are essentially mixed-level environments. A good Yoga teacher, to me, is one who is attuned to the ability of students, and offer alternate variations of the same pose to suit students.

If you are concerned about posture and form, I highly recommend that you try the Iyengar style, which focuses on proper alignment. I took a 6-week beginners workshop at an Iyengar-based studio back in 2006, and to this day I still remember the way the instructor corrected my posture in poses. Iyengar teachers generally don't hold back when you do things incorrectly, and at the time that teacher seemed like a drill sergeant to me. But to this day I still get compliment from my current teachers for the way I do basic poses, and I owe quite a bit to that Iyengar workshop a few years back.

Hope this helps and--
Namaste...