A lot of people are asking this question, as both disciplines require a mat and exercises, yet yoga involves holding a pose for several breaths, whereas Pilates is all about constant movement. The practitioner of Pilates is challenged with focusing on controlling every body movement, and there are equipment items needed when practicing Pilates.
Essential Equipment
The equipment you need for Pilates includes the following:
- Reformer or Tower Unit
- Wunda Chair
- A Mat (Thicker than a yoga mat)
Pilates equipment can be expensive, and if you don’t have the space or the equipment at home, enrol with Breathe Education in New Zealand, where you can learn with professionals who have state of the art equipment and amenities.
Course Details
A typical Pilates beginner’s course would comprise of six 90-minute classes, one per week, during which time, you would learn about:
- The movement properties of the spine.
- How to effectively target muscles.
- How a stronger body affects you.
- Tendons, ligaments and muscles.
- Cartilage and joint health.
- Developing a squat stance.
If you have a friend who would also like to explore Pilates, you can enrol in the same class, and together you will gain a deeper understanding of your body and how to target specific muscles.
Better Physical Health Brings Improved Well-Being
When your physical health improves, so does your mental state, which has a very beneficial effect on every aspect of your life. This is very noticeable to the practitioner and this motivates you to continue with the program, seeing the results in your everyday life, as you feel stronger and more aware of your body. Here is an interesting blog on how women need more protein in their diet, which does make sense.
Excellent Way to Tone Up
If you want to tone your muscles, Pilates is ideal, and as you learn how to target muscles, you can work on specific areas of your body, changing your objectives from time to time. Athletes swear by Pilates and most practice prior to competing, as this is a safe way to prepare muscles for some serious activity, thus reducing the risk of muscle injury.
Online Solutions
Wherever you happen to live in the world, your best friend Google will help to locate a nearby Pilates studio, and ask a few friends if they would like to explore the potential that Pilates offers. The studio would run classes every evening and all weekend slots would be covered, so you can enrol in a weekly class on your day of choice. Practicing at a Pilates studio means you have the very best equipment and instructors who know their stuff, and you might even reach the point where you would like to become a Pilates instructor, and the studio would have advanced courses that would enable you to become a Pilates instructor, with your own classes. Click here for Australian government guidelines regarding physical exercise. Almost all of the Pilates instructors began with the intention of improving their fitness, and as a natural progression, they became advanced students and then moved onto the instructor course.
There is a lot to be gained from both yoga and Pilates, with the latter focusing more on movement and body awareness, and there’s bound to be a Pilates studio near you.