Yoga vs. Pilates: Which Is Better?

Both yoga and Pilates are low-impact exercises that are becoming increasingly popular to take in studio classes or follow along on videos at home.

Although many of their benefits overlap—including improved flexibility, increased muscle strength, and better mental health—they provide slightly different advantages.

This article will detail the differences between yoga and Pilates, the benefits of each, and a comparison of which to choose if your goal is flexibility, stress reduction, weight management, and more.

What Is Yoga?

Yoga originated in India 2,500 to 5,000 years ago and includes many practices that balance the mind, body, and spirit. There are eight “limbs” or components of yoga that are designed to build on one another: 

• Yama: Mental discipline and restraint; universal morality with how you interact with others. 
• Niyama: Observances or “positive duties” are considered recommendations for personal mortality and spiritual existence, such as self-reflection, cleanliness, contentment, and self-discipline.
• Asana: Meaning “seat” in Sanskrit, asanas are controlled yoga postures or poses—the physical component of yoga that people are most familiar with. 
• Pranayama: Conscious and controlled breathing that allows energy to flow through the body. 
• Pratyahara: The detachment or withdrawal of the senses, blocking out distractions from the senses, and “gaining mastery over external influences.” 
• Dharana: Concentration and focus, like focusing on a single point and staying in the moment.  
• Dhyana: Contemplation and meditation, with the mind entering a relaxed, calm state of uninterrupted concentration. 
• Samadhi: The final limb is the ultimate goal or reward, reaching deep absorption and meditative consciousness. Samadhi is a blissful state of enlightenment, inner peace, and oneness with the world.

Yoga combines physical postures, deep breathing exercises, meditation, mindfulness, concentration, and ethical principles. Some types of yoga focus more on meditation and breathing, while others focus on movements and faster flow.

Main Focus of Yoga

The primary focuses of yoga are mind-body connection, flexibility, balance, conscious breathing, meditation, mindfulness, concentration, and ethical principles. 

Benefits of Yoga

Yoga has wide-reaching benefits, including physical health, mental health, and emotional or spiritual aspects. Research shows that yoga can benefit:

• Increased flexibility¹ 
• Increased strength of core muscles and lower body² 
• Improved balance and coordination³
• Improved mental health, including reduced stress, anxiety, and depression^4,5 
• Improved cardiovascular health⁶
• Improved respiratory and lung health⁷
• Reduced inflammation⁸
• Better sleep quality⁹ 
• Reduced chronic pain¹⁰ 
• Improved cognitive function¹¹
• Improved self-esteem and body image¹²
• Increased mindfulness and spiritual intelligence—the ability to understand and integrate aspects of spirituality (not necessarily religion) into one’s life, producing a deeper sense of meaning, purpose, and connection.¹³
• Fosters inner peace, personal meaning, hope, and compassion¹³

Types of Yoga

• Hatha yoga: A traditional form of yoga that aims to balance the mind and body with asana poses, pranayama breathing, and meditation. Hatha is typically practiced more slowly and with longer, more static holds. It’s often more focused on the physical practice of yoga, as Hatha means “force” in Sanskrit. 
• Vinyasa yoga: Typically faster-paced, vinyasa yoga is often called “yoga flow,” pairing rhythmic movements with conscious breathing exercises. Many contemporary yoga classes are vinyasa yoga. 
• Kundalini yoga: Meaning “life force energy” in Sanskrit, Kundalini yoga is designed to stimulate or unlock this life force energy. Kundalini may involve mantras, chanting, breathwork, singing, meditation, or kriyas (a series of poses paired with breathwork and chanting). 
• Ashtanga yoga: A faster-paced practice similar to vinyasa yoga, Ashtanga is a structured and flowing practice of six specific asanas, which are moved through at one’s own pace upon mastering the previous pose. It combines the eight limbs of yoga previously mentioned with audible throat breathing called Ujjayi. 
• Raja yoga: One of the oldest forms of yoga, focusing on self-control and reaching the state of Samadhi, or enlightenment. It can be considered a type of Ashtanga yoga, but Raja is more internal and focused on mental discipline.  
• Yin yoga: This slow-paced, meditative form originated in China and incorporates principles of traditional Chinese medicine and the Taoist philosophy of yin and yang. Yin yoga is typically a slow and gentle type of restorative yoga and involves holding asanas for 5 minutes at a time or more. 

Of course, many other forms of yoga have been created or practiced over the millennia; these are just some of the most used today. 

Accessibility and Equipment

Yoga does not require much more than a mat to practice on, although some classes utilize props like blocks or straps to help with flexibility. As many asanas are done standing up, yoga may be less accessible for people with certain injuries or disabilities. That said, most poses can be adapted to meet specific needs or fitness levels, and many asanas can be modified to be performed while seated in a chair or wheelchair.

What Is Pilates?

Developed by Joseph Pilates in the 1930s, this recently repopularized exercise is a core-focused workout that can utilize a floor mat, reformer carriage, chair, and other equipment. It’s a low-impact workout designed to strengthen the whole body with repetitive and fluid movements that work all muscle groups and help with flexibility, mobility, and posture.

Main Focus of Pilates

Pilates focuses on core strength and improving strength, mobility, flexibility, posture, and breathing. Pilates typically involves controlled, precise, and repetitive movements paired with conscious breathwork to add power and mindfulness to the workout.

Benefits of Pilates

There are many research-backed benefits of practicing Pilates, including:

• Increased strength of core muscles¹⁴
• Increased flexibility and mobility¹⁵ 
• Increased upper body and lower body muscle strength¹⁶
• Improved mindfulness¹⁷
• Improved posture and spine health¹⁸
• Improved balance¹⁹
• Reduced back pain²⁰
• Reduced menstrual pain²¹
• Improved cognitive function²²
• Improved athletic performance²³
• Better sleep quality²⁴
• Better mental health²⁵ 
• Increased bone strength²⁶ 

Types of Pilates

• Classical Pilates: Classical Pilates exercises use Joseph Pilate’s six core principles (concentration, control, centering, flow, precision, and breathing) and a strict adherence to the routine of 34 exercises, which can be done using a reformer or the mat. 
• Reformer Pilates: The Pilates reformer is a pulley system consisting of a sliding carriage and springs with varying degrees of tension that includes aspects of Classical Pilates. These machines are great for spine health, posture, and core strength. 
• Mat Pilates: Mat Pilates classes are done entirely on floor mats. It can be done with or without Pilates equipment (like resistance bands, balls, or rings), making it easier to practice at home. 
• Contemporary/Modern Pilates: Most Pilates fitness classes today are modern, using either Mat or Reformer equipment. They include aspects of classical Pilates but also use other equipment like resistance bands, Pilates rings, small balls, Pilates chairs, and foam rollers. 
• Clinical Pilates: Physiotherapists use clinical Pilates to help heal injuries, typically after surgery or injury. Clinical Pilates may focus more on the area needing healing, taking a more personalized approach. It can also be used in older adults to maintain mobility, with athletes for sports-related conditioning or injury prevention, spinal pain management, and more. 

Accessibility and Equipment

Some forms of Pilates—like mat Pilates—are more accessible, as they require minimal equipment (just a mat) and don’t take much instruction to get going. Reformer Pilates classes can be more expensive, require quite a bit more guidance, and have a steeper learning curve to get familiar with the equipment and the classical Pilates movements. Most Pilates classes utilize some other equipment, like bands, balls, rings, chairs, or free weights. That said, all forms of Pilates can be done at all levels, and instructors can provide modifications based on your fitness level and needs.

Comparison of Pilates and Yoga

Pilates and yoga have many overlapping qualities, as both are rooted in flexibility, mobility, breathwork, and controlled movements. However, there are some slight differences between the two and their benefits.

• Flexibility: Yoga is generally considered better for improving flexibility due to its abundance of stretching poses. However, Pilates has also been shown to increase flexibility, and both yoga and Pilates can increase range of motion and mobility.  
• Core Strength: Pilates has a stronger emphasis on building core strength, as most of the exercises are core-focused. Yoga may see more increases in leg muscles, as many of the asana poses are done standing or in lunge positions. However, both yoga and Pilates use your own body weight, which can be beneficial for all muscle groups. 
• Mental Health Benefits: Yoga almost always includes meditative and breathwork components, which can be more beneficial for supporting mental health, including reduced stress, anxiety, and depression, as well as improved body image and self-esteem. Pilates also combines breath with movement and helps with stress and anxiety, but often to a lesser extent. 
• Mindfulness and Spiritual Health: Yoga is the winner here, as research shows that yoga practices can increase mindfulness, mind-body awareness, emotional health, and spiritual intelligence. 
• Weight Management: Both yoga and Pilates could be considered beneficial for helping weight management, although just adding these workouts without changing anything else will likely not lead to weight loss. Rather than comparing yoga to Pilates, it probably matters more the intensity of each exercise you do. For example, the slower-paced Hatha yoga burns about half the calories of the fast-paced Vinyasa. Similarly, higher-intensity or Reformer Pilates may burn more calories than mat-based classes. 
• Injury Prevention or Recovery: Both can be adapted for rehabilitation, but Clinical Pilates with a trained physiotherapist may be more beneficial for healing or preventing injuries. 
• Equipment Needed: Yoga typically requires minimal equipment (a mat), although many classes also utilize props like blocks or straps. Pilates often involves much more equipment like reformers, balls, bands, rings, and chairs, although mat Pilates can be done just using a mat. 
• Accessibility: Both yoga and mat Pilates can be done at home with minimal equipment (just a mat for the bare minimum), but Reformer Pilates classes tend to be more expensive than yoga and have more of a learning curve. Pilates, in general, may be more accessible to people with injuries or disabilities, as much of the practice can be done laying down and with wide-ranging modifications. However, yoga can also be adapted for varying levels of ability. 

The Bottom Line

Both yoga and Pilates are excellent exercises for the mind, body, and soul that have many overlapping benefits. You can certainly combine both practices into your exercise routine, but if it comes down to choosing one or the other, go for yoga if you want to focus on enhanced flexibility, reduced stress, and improved mindfulness or spiritual health. Choose Pilates if your primary goal is strengthening your core muscles, improving posture, or increasing mobility. 

Pilates Vs. Yoga FAQs