I ran into an old friend of mine yesterday, and boy, did she look great! I knew she was a yoga "buff" so I commented on how well yoga was working for her. Her response startled me,

"Yoga? Oh, I don't do yoga anymore."

The way she said the word "yoga" made it sound like she was referring to the plague or something! I asked what she was doing to look so great. She informed me that she was now a Pilates buff.

Pilates? Yoga? Aren't they the same thing? In both styles, aren't we bending ourselves into pretzles and holding that pose? Now I wasn't about to show my ignorance to my "old friend" so I did what the modern American woman does in a case like this. I Googled it.

Pilates versus Yoga – The differences.

While both programs brag of life-changing benefits (both physical and mental), there are some basic differences to consider when looking into your next excersice plan.

Burning Calories – In an advanced "power yoga" class, expect to burn about 250 calories, in an advanced Pilates class, expect to burn anywhere from 225 to 375 calories.

Physical Strength and Flexibility – While Yoga tends to promote a more over-all strength and flexibility, Pilates is awesome for the abs and is more than 300% more effective for tightening the oblique muscles. What a nice replacement for the old-fashioned "crunches"!

For Your Heart – When I think of an exercise that boosts your heartrate, I think of aerobics or jogging (or running around behind your 3-year-old). Pilates and yoga certainly do not come into mind. In my opinion, both seem so passive as far as a "workout" is considered. Apparently, my thinking is fairly correct. Advanced yoga raises the heartrate about the same amount as a casual walk, while Pilates can boost it up to the rate of a "power walk". Neither program will give your heart the aerobic boost that the experts want us to have.

Extras – Yoga claims to increase "inner peace" and its been proven to reduce stress hormones – even after one single session! I feel certain that I am not the only one that could use a "stresss reliever"! Also, get this – it's also been noted that yoga can reduce hotflash intensity by about 30%. I know plenty of women who would think yoga is a pretty hot idea! Pilates is more for creating core body strength, increasing flexibility, and improving posture. I imagine we've all seen the commercials where Pilates offers the "longer-leaner body", right? This is accomplished through improved posture along with back and core strength.

Apparently there are some differences between Pilates and yoga. For someone whos idea of "exercise" is walking to the coffee pot quicker, I'm not sure if either style is for me. However, after taking a glance at my old friend and the benefits she was showing from Pilates, it might be worth looking in to.