Pilates vs Yoga: What’s the Difference and Which Should You Try?

Pilates and yoga both happen on a mat, both care about breathing, and both promise a stronger, more flexible body. So it’s no surprise people mix them up. But they come from different places and feel quite different in a class. This guide explains how they compare and how to choose.

Where they come from

Yoga is thousands of years old and comes from India. It began as a spiritual practice, and many classes still include meditation, chanting or relaxation alongside the physical poses.

Pilates is about a hundred years old. Joseph Pilates developed it in the early 20th century as a system of exercise for strength, control and rehabilitation. He also designed the equipment, including the reformer, that many studios use today.

The main differences

Strength vs flexibility

Pilates focuses on strength and control, especially in the deep abdominal, back and hip muscles that support your spine. Yoga leans more towards flexibility and balance, with many poses held as stretches. Both build some of each, so the difference is one of emphasis.

Movement vs holding

In pilates you usually move through an exercise for a set number of repetitions, with an emphasis on precision. In yoga you more often move into a pose and hold it, or flow from one pose to the next with the breath.

Mind and body

Both ask you to concentrate. Yoga often goes further, with breathing practices, meditation and a relaxation at the end. Pilates classes tend to feel more like a focused workout.

Equipment

Yoga needs little more than a mat. Pilates can be done on a mat too, but many studios teach on the reformer, a sliding carriage with springs that add resistance or support. Our guide to reformer vs mat pilates explains the difference.

Which is better for…

Building core strength

Pilates. Almost every exercise works the deep abdominal and back muscles, and reformer classes add resistance on top.

Flexibility

Yoga, usually. Long held stretches do more for flexibility than pilates’ controlled movements, though pilates helps too.

Stress and relaxation

Yoga, if relaxation is what you’re after. Styles such as yin and restorative yoga are designed to calm you down. That said, many people find the concentration pilates needs is a good way to switch off.

Back pain

Both have been studied for long-term lower back pain, and both can help. Neither has been shown to be clearly better than the other. The best choice is the one you’ll keep doing. See our guide to pilates for back pain for how to start safely.

Getting back from an injury

Pilates is often recommended by physios, because exercises can be scaled down and supported, and many physio practices run their own classes. Always check with your physio or GP first.

What a class is like

A typical beginner pilates class lasts 45 to 60 minutes. You’ll work through a series of exercises lying, kneeling and sitting, with the instructor cueing your breathing and alignment. Expect to feel your stomach and legs working, and maybe some mild soreness the next day.

A beginner yoga class is a similar length. You’ll move through standing, seated and lying poses, often linking them with your breath, and finish with a few minutes of rest. The pace and style vary much more from one class to the next than in pilates.

How to choose

• Choose pilates if you want to get stronger, improve your posture, or need something structured and easy to scale for a niggle or injury.
• Choose yoga if you want to become more flexible, or you’re looking for relaxation and stress relief as much as exercise.
• Try both if you can. They complement each other well, and many studios teach both.

Cost is worth considering too. Mat classes of either kind are usually cheaper than reformer pilates. See how much reformer pilates costs for typical UK prices.

Find a class near you

Search by postcode to see pilates studios near you, with ratings and reviews. If you’re new, read our guides to your first reformer class and what to wear to pilates.

Frequently asked questions