06 Oct Yoga vs. Pilates: Is One Better for You?
Increased energy levels, better sleep, enhanced mental well-being — there’s no denying the benefits of exercise. These days, it’s not about whether you should exercise; it’s more about which exercise do you practice?
If your options come down to yoga and Pilates because of the results they’ve been able to deliver for other people, then you’re on the right track. Both are low-impact exercises that use your body weight as resistance. Both allow you to build strength, flexibility, and focus. But they each have different approaches, which also make them a better choice for certain fitness goals.
How do you know if you should sign up for a yoga or pilates class in Dubai? Understanding the key differences between yoga and Pilates can help you make an informed choice.
Should You Do Yoga or Pilates First?
If you’re a beginner in fitness programs or are returning to a physical regimen after a long break, yoga may be a better start than Pilates.
Yoga allows you to build a foundation for Pilates, from proper alignment to strengthening your core. You’ll learn to engage certain muscles with proper form. Yoga classes in Dubai will help you build strength and flexibility, which you can then enhance once you take Pilates classes.
You could start off with beginner Pilates, also called mat Pilates. Mat Pilates requires a thicker mat (thicker than a yoga mat) to cushion pressure points, and covers fundamentals. Beginner Pilates also follows an order that allows your body to get acquainted with activating those deep muscles.
Once your body is used to the core engagement of mat Pilates, you can progress to reformer Pilates, which is more intense and challenging than mat Pilates.
Which Is Better for Weight Loss?
Coupled with a proper diet, both Pilates and yoga may be able to help you manage weight.
Pilates can help burn more calories because the low-impact exercise builds muscle mass, raising your basal metabolic rate (BMR). The BMR refers to the number of calories a person burns while at rest. The more muscle you have, the more calories your body burns to keep tissues primed and fed. This body recompositioning also cuts body fat, allowing you to shed excess weight.
If you’re a beginner, 50 minutes of mat Pilates can burn 175 calories, whereas advanced classes could burn between 255 to 375 calories. To achieve the desired results, studies suggest doing Pilates 60 minutes a day, five times a week, for four weeks.
Yoga, on the other hand, can help control weight, especially for people between the ages of 45 and 55. This is the age range where some people gain weight. A study has found that people who practiced yoga regularly and were not overweight lost about 5 pounds. Participants in the study who did not practice yoga gained about 14 pounds.
You lose weight from yoga because of the calories you burn, but how much you burn will depend on the type of yoga. A 50-minute hatha yoga class may burn 145 calories, whereas a power yoga class may burn 250 calories.
Although Pilates classes might yield faster results for your weight loss goals, both exercises should be complemented with other fitness routines to maintain results. For example, you might include a running routine with yoga or resistance training with Pilates.
Which Is Harder, Yoga or Pilates?
For fitness beginners, Pilates may be more challenging than yoga since it can be more active. Pilates focuses so much on building core strength, so it can be harder if you have not been exercising.
Although some types of yoga can be tough as well. For example, ashtanga yoga can be physically demanding as you move through the sequence of postures. Poses like the turtle yoga pose, the rooster pose, and the headstand require significant core strength, flexibility, and balance.
Any fitness routine can be hard in the beginning. But as you practice them consistently, you’ll find that each movement and series of poses will get easier over time.
In terms of convenience, yoga may be more accessible since Pilates requires equipment like a small exercise ball, ankle weights, light dumbbells, mini bands, or the ring.
Can You Do Both?
Absolutely, you can do both so long as your physician has no restrictions if you have a condition.
A combination of yoga and Pilates, or yogalates, is going to improve your core strength even more. These exercises can complement each other, allowing you to not only achieve fitness goals but also enhance your well-being.
By integrating yoga with Pilates, you can:
- Enhance body awareness
- Strengthen lower abdominal muscles
- Improve stability
- Master breath control
- Reduce the risk of stiffness
- Improve mental focus or clarity
- Feel relaxed
With the mindful breathing practices in yoga, you’ll be able to move and transition seamlessly during Pilates. Because Pilates teaches your body to use the right muscles at the right time, promoting optimal posture alignment, you’ll do every yoga pose with greater precision.
Ultimately, it doesn’t matter whether you choose a yoga class over a Pilates class. Practicing any exercise routine will always be beneficial for your mind and body.
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Last Updated on October 6, 2025 by Marie Benz MD FAAD