Yoga, Pilates, & Barre: Which One Is Right for You?

If hitting the gym for the regular workout bore you at times, classes might be more interesting for you. Yoga, Pilates, and barre are all low-impact workouts that can be practiced by all fitness levels, beginners, intermediate, or advanced. While the three have some similarities in common such as working on flexibility, endurance, and balance, there are still some differences between the three. 

 

So, which to go for?

 

Get grounded and centered with Yoga.

Yoga is a body-mind workout. It helps with strength and flexibility, and is ideal for stress relief since one of its main pillars is learning how to control our thoughts and minds. Yoga is suitable for people of all ages and different fitness levels. There are also different styles of yoga from gentle flows to more dynamic. 

Start yoga if you want to:

• Increase flexibility

• Feel grounded

• Focus on better breathing

• Build connection between the mind and the body

 

Strengthen your core with Pilates

Pilates was first invented by Joseph Pilates in Germany to help the rehabilitation of injured soldiers during World War I. Joseph then modified the exercising method to suit not only soldiers but to be a workout for everyone. Pilates is a comprehensive full-body workout focusing on the core and targeting muscle strengthening. Some classes can incorporate machines while others can totally depend on body weight.

Start Pilates if you want to:

• Improve pelvis and hip alignment

• Improve core strength

• Lower back pain and improve postural muscles.

• Increase flexibility and range of motion

 

Tone and build muscular strength with barre

Barre brings the best of both Pilates and yoga together and is the newest among both. You can think of barre as a fusion of classical ballet moves with Pilates. Barre mainly focuses on the lower body including glutes, hamstrings, and quads. So in a nutshell, barre combines the elements of yoga, Pilates, and ballet.

Start barre if you want to:

• Tone and sculpt your muscles for a lean physique

• Increase flexibility and lower body strength

• Burn more calories with its cardiovascular exercises

• Improve posture