Pilates or Yoga?
“They are both incredible tools to improve body awareness because it forces you to learn. Learn about your body, about movement, about what feels good and what doesn’t.”
As an Osteopath, rehabilitation makes up a very important portion of any patient’s management. Often, this gets overlooked and people become reliant on their Osteo or health care practitioner to ‘fix’ them every time they run into trouble. It is important to understand that your health care practitioner is there to merely guide you through your diagnosis, directing you to the correct management and aiding the healing process with manual therapy as required. Ideally, the patient should be using some form of exercise as a way to keep them out of the treatment room. With this in mind, a question that comes up (A LOT) in the clinic is “should I do Pilates or Yoga”?
As a certified Polestar Pilates clinical Pilates instructor my answer used to be very biased, always recommending clinical Pilates as the go-to for the rehabilitation process. However! Over recent times I have dedicated myself to regular yoga practice (Vinyasa-style) and have come to really appreciate what Yoga has to offer.
It is important to note that this is a comparison between clinical Pilates (i.e. where studio equipment is used - the reformer, trapeze table, wunda chair etc) and Vinyasa-style Yoga. There are various forms of each discipline which each offer different things. The 2 that are being compared here (clinical Pilates & Vinyasa Yoga) are being done so as they are widely available (in Melbourne) and often asked about.
Clinical Pilates
Pilates can be delivered in a variety of forms, with or without equipment. The equipment used in the Pilates studio can seem somewhat daunting at first (and let’s be real, a lot of people liken it to looking like some sort of sex dungeon). The springs which attach to the different structures are there to assist or resist movement. This means that the exercises used can assist your body in moving through a range which, without springs you would find difficult to do. At the other end of the spectrum, the springs can also be manipulated to increase the challenge to movements requiring you to use the strength of your muscles to perform the movement, with the intention to activate and/or strengthen the particular muscles involved. Pilates can be applied to any presentation whether you’re in debilitating pain, or you’ve never felt better.
Clinical Pilates can be a brilliant rehabilitation option for anyone whether they are an elite sports person or an elderly Nan or Pop whose main aim in life is to continue knitting and/or fishing (or both!). The delivery of a clinical Pilates class is usually in a small group setting (usually 3-4 people), where each person is being guided by their teacher through a program that has been designed specifically for them. This is generally after the person has attended 1:1 sessions with their teacher for an assessment and for development of their program.
This type of movement can be a fantastic option for someone who needs specific attention in relation to rehabilitation of a specific injury or for those who may be slightly more “movement-challenged” and need a bit more guidance to understand movement patterns and hence, their bodies a little better. Regular attendance to clinical Pilates sessions is also a fabulous method for body maintenance as you can use the way your body feels to direct what is done within the session simply by reporting it to your teacher (i.e. does your body feel like it needs more mobility, flexibility and/or strength?). This is an awesome way to keep you out of the treatment room where manual therapy treatments can be considered as a ‘passive’ approach to rehabilitation.
“What about reformer Pilates classes?”
With these types of classes becoming all the more available to the community, this is another common question that you hear in clinic. These classes are group fitness classes so are not being designed for you specifically. To be brutally honest the level of technique that you usually see in these classes is sub-par (to a ‘movement-knit-picker’ like myself). That’s not to say that the teaching in these classes is inadequate - it is usually the individual’s drive to do more reps, go that little bit deeper or make the resistance harder that creates fatigue and hence compromised technique. These classes can be incredibly beneficial when engaged by the right person with the ‘right person’ being those who understand their bodies and are generally not on the “movement-challenged” spectrum.
Yoga (Vinyasa)
Leaving the spiritual aspect of Yoga to the side - physically, this kind of movement is fantastic for those who may not be battling with any specific injury/ies and are looking to challenge their bodies using their body weight only. There is one teacher (usually amongst a medium to large-sized group of people), guiding you through a series of postures that all work towards improving mobility, flexibility and strength within your body. Postures can be as simple as sitting on your bum with your legs outstretched, to those more complex postures where you have to balance on one leg with your arms reaching to the sky, raising one eyebrow whilst licking your big toe… you know, nothing fancy.
The good teachers will be aware of your injuries and offer modifications to potentially aggravating postures accordingly; however it should be noted that what is programmed for the class may not be specific for your needs. This isn’t necessarily a good or a bad thing, it is simply the way it is. In fact, there is something fantastically beautiful about going to a Yoga class and allowing your body to be a puppet to the teacher’s words. The psychological ease that comes from a Yoga class is something that I believe certainly has clinical Pilates beat. 11 times out of 10 you leave feeling like you are walking on clouds with your slippers on.
(Vinyasa) Yoga isn’t for the faint-hearted… but it can be if that’s who you are. As one of my gorgeous teachers says at the start of every class “Take what you want, and leave what you don’t” - a profound comment that makes this (group) class your very own.
In summary…
The entry point for both forms of movement can be for those who consider themselves ‘beginners’ and for those who are more advanced. Whichever one you choose, you make it your own and work towards being better each time you practice. More importantly, both Yoga & clinical Pilates are HUGELY functional forms of movement, so you are 110% able to take it into your activities of daily living, hobbies and sports. They are both incredible tools to improve body awareness (which I believe to be a massive factor in anyone’s ‘well-being’ journey) because it forces you to learn. Learn about your body, about movement, about what feels good and what doesn’t. Whether you’re recovering from an injury or wanting to improve your fitness - regardless of what you choose, being active in your body is one thing that both disciplines are great for.
Really, the best thing to do is to go and try for yourself. If you like what you’re doing - keep doing it. If you’re not sure, try a different studio or a different teacher as these variables have a huge impact on someone's commitment to a discipline. We absolutely J’ADORE Warrior One Yoga - you simply can’t go wrong.
If you have any questions about what might be best suited for you, get into contact with us and we will be more than happy to help you sort out your thoughts. Ask us by clicking the button below.
