OK you say “Kathy, this is NYC there are only so many hours in the day and I want to work on my flexibility! Which is a better fitness choice for me, yoga or Pilates?”
Which is better yoga or Pilates?
The answer is first check with your Doctor for his or her advice and then with their OK try both!
But Kathy you say to me, “I’m busy I don’t have time for both!”
I’d recommend taking a basic class in both yoga and Pilates at least once at a local studio or your gym.
I find with any fitness routine the easier and closer the class and or facility is to my work or home, the more likely I am to do it and keep doing it!
If you have no local Pilates or yoga studio convenient to you there is a tremendous array of DVDs you can easily chose from.
For Pilates I like Mari Winsor Basic DVD set.
Winsor Pilates Basic 3 DVD Set
The 3 DVDs of Mari’s basic set cover on the first DVD Pilates central moves, then a 2nd DVD delivers an all over body toning workout in 20 minutes and a 3rd gives you a more intense advanced Pilates total body workout!
A doable yoga DVD is Karen Voight’s Yoga Power.
Karen has segmented the yoga routine into several parts so start with the first and see how you go. Depending on your strength and agility you might find yourself moving right along. If the first part if hard enough, good you’re gotten a taste of yoga and will be able to judge if it’s a workout for you.
Both yoga and Pilates center on the strength of the abdominal area and overall body conditioning and flexibility.
Both can be relaxing and enhance your mental focus thereby clearing your mind of the chatter of the day.
Often, especially in the Spring and Summer wearing capri or cropped fitness pants will enable you to execute the moves more freely and comfortably!
Lululemon purple capri fitness pants!
Take a Pilates and a yoga class. See how you like your local instructors and the overall atmosphere at the club or studio. Try some DVDs with different instructors like Mari Winsor and Karen Voight.
Then you decide, is it Pilates for you, or yoga, or both?!
