A question that constantly pops up among fitness beginners is whether they should take yoga or Pilates? Do they have the same techniques? Both Yoga and Pilates are considered to be mind-body exercises which are great forms of strength training that build long, lean muscles. You might be surprised to know that Joseph Pilates, the founder of Pilates, looked to yoga for inspiration when creating his exercise method! Even though they share some common benefits, Yoga and Pilates are different in several major ways, including origin, purpose and method.
First of all, Yoga’s origin is different from Pilates’s. The practice of yoga originated in India more than 5,000 years ago. It has evolved over the centuries and cultures into many different types of yoga for instance, Ashtanga, Kripalu, Bikram and Vineyasa. On the other hand, Pilates is a much younger practice. It was developed in Germany in the mid-20th century as a way to help injured athletes and dancers safely return to exercise and maintain their fitness. Since then, Pilates has been adapted to suit people in the general community. Moreover, the inventor of yoga is uncertain. There is no written record of who invented yoga because it was practiced long before humans knew how to write. The earliest written record of yoga, and one of the oldest texts in existence, is generally believed to be written by Patanjali, an Indian yogic sage who lived somewhere between 2,000 and 2,500 years ago. In contrast, the beginning of Pilates is clear. It was created by the German physical trainer Joseph Pilates. A sickly child who devoted his adult life to bodybuilding and fitness exercises.
Second, Yoga and Pilates are different in terms of purpose. The purpose of yoga is to unite mind and body while Pilates was created for physical rehabilitation. Yoga aims to not only improve physical health, but emotional and spiritual health as well. Through repetitive movement, the act of yoga can be extremely