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Health & Fitness

Yoga and Pilates Practice "Debunking the Myths"

Yoga and Pilates are they the same thing? Do you practice both types of movement? What is the difference between the two? Do you practice one but not the other? Why? Want to try a class?

Even after seven years of Pilates studio ownership I still get the same ole comment "oh ya, you're the Yoga studio on the corner of Washington and Elm St. Or "my friend takes Yoga at your place". How about, "isn't Pilates a type of Yoga? Here's the best one "don't you do that HOT YOGA! eeek!

Yes, Pilates has been linked to Yoga by the general public mainly because Yoga has been around for many centuries in Eastern culture and the public at large knows Yoga is done on a mat, breathing and contourting your body into pretzel positions. Ommm..... meditation and relaxation is a household name where Yoga is concerned. Yoga relaxes, stretches and strengthens the whole body mostly done in large groups of people for a nominal fee.

Pilates exercise on the other hand has only been around for a century and was developed by the man himself Joseph Pilates a German immigrant. He developed his method of training during WW I to rehabilitate injured, sick and dying soldiers. He built specialized equipment using bed springs to exercise the patients in bed. None of his patients died in his camp because he kept them strong and mobile. When the war ended he came to NY and opened a gym and called his exercise method  Contrology. His focus was to train the abdominals in a controlled manner because he believed all movement initiates at our core. He was 50 years ahead of his time with his fitness training. Science now knows this is true. Joe Pilates knew the body in ways science had not yet discovered.

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In the 1940's, 50's and 60's people flocked to his gym in NY to learn this very different and results orientated exercise. He trained professional boxers, dancers and gymnasts and non athletes too. Joe was gruff and tough and training with him was not for the faint of heart. He insisted on perfection and wouldn't settle for less. Each move is performed with precision, control, proper breath and flow. Pilates exercises are done on the mat and the equipment that Joe Pilates designed and built. It provides deep stretches, strengthening and balance control.  Unlike Yoga Pilates uses equipment. Joe believed the mind trains the body. Hence, the mind body workout you get with Pilates as taught in Yoga. However, we do not meditate in Pilates. We are not quiet in a Pilates class, we sweat a lot and burn calories. We are fully conscious and in our bodies at all times moving from one exercise to the next connecting all the transitions. If you are an intermediate student you will get a cardio benefit too. It is very much like a choreographed dance. However, Pilates is not a girls workout. Joe Pilates trained mostly men in his day. Although mostly women do Pilates, men you need Pilates too. Some of Pilates is done on the mat which is also like Yoga and perhaps why people get confused but the focus is always on the core and continuous movement patterns using breath control to the moves.

Some of the moves look like Yoga poses but the intention and flow is entirely different than Yoga. Pilates equipment offers both support and challenges with springs instead of heavy plates. The springs provide feedback and muscle opposition while the client moves. If you have weak abdominals the mat program can be very difficult and risk for neck and back injuries can occur. It is imperative to train the abdominals correctly before doing advance Pilates moves on the mat. Pilates will correct faulty movement patterns that cause pain and injury. It re-educates the neuro-muscular patterns, lengthens the muscles and decompresses the spine. If Pilates is done improperly you will compress the joints causing stiffness and pain. Pilates should never hurt during or after a workout.

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Real Pilates is done in smaller groups or privately where individual attention to the client is addressed in every class. The teacher teaches the class, she/he does not do the class. We watch the clients and correct them based on individual needs. Pilates teachers spend thousands of dollars on their Pilates education, attend internships/workshops and take written and practical exams. We study anatomy and kinesiology, sports injury, prenatal specialities and physical rehabilitation. And yes, you will spend more money but we are comparing apples and oranges here. There is a lot of education in Pilates.

Pilates is a serious training program that takes commitment and disipline. It shoud be practiced 2-4 times weekly not an occasional drop in here and there. To learn Pilates consistantcey is key. So the next time someone say's to you "I take Pilates" you now know it is not Yoga they are talking about.

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