What do you like?
Most of my exercise in the past 7 years has come in the form of Jazz.ercise supplemented with weightlifting and yoga. I’ve recently dropped weightlifting (I use heavy weight in Jazz.ercise anyway). I do yoga mostly for flexibility and core strength, but I’ve found that it’s a total body workout like Jazz.ercise which is making it difficult to get more than 3 workouts in before every muscle in my body hurts. I tried out a pilates studio, and I’m waffling between continuing with yoga or switching to pilates. Pilates seems to focus a bit more on the core and alignment of the pelvis more, albeit lying down. On the other hand a lot of yoga is standing and balances which helps strengthen the core overall. I feel like there’s more of a danger of injuring myself in yoga the more I push myself (pulled a hamstring in bound side angle pose last week). Pilates, especially mat classes, is a little boring. I can do both I suppose, but then I lose out on cardio if I’m doing three different workouts and two of them are strength-based.
Sorry...I am a runner & biker; also I do weight machines at the gym twice a week or so.
ReplyDeleteEvery once and a while I think about signing up for a class at the park district...but they are always at crumy times.
There are days I wish we were a part of Lifetime fitness where you just go to the classes for free...but it is just so expensive (our park district fitness center is $12/person a month...can't beat that!).
Oh! I've done both pilates and yoga and I so prefer pilates to yoga and I actually feel that pilates is a better workout. But, I think that might have to do with the instructor. In my pilates class we use the exercise balls, bands, and other resistance tools.
ReplyDeleteI always find yoga so boring and the class seems to go on forever. I've even gone so far as to different studios, instructors, and types of yoga, but I just can't seem to get into it.
My suggestion would be to stick with the one that you enjoy the most because in the end if you choose the one that you don't like (no matter how much better of a workout you get), it's just not worth it.
My husband as a gift gave me lessons at a pilates studio and I absolutely LOVED it. I'm the least athletic person alive, but pilates was something I was actually pretty good at. I also loved the results - my arms and legs looked pretty toned. Unfortunately finances prevented me from continuing, otherwise I would still be happily at the studio. I faithfully do Yoga because I know it's good for me, but I am super unflexible in my hamstrings and I too worry about injury. So, I guess, pilates?
ReplyDeleteI've done both and like both, but always stuck with yoga. Pilates felt like it worked my core muscles more, but yoga feels like it stretches and works my whole body. I love how I feel after yoga class, and yoga is really the only place where I've liked my body. I agree with the comment about the instructor making a huge difference. Unfortunately, there are a lot of yoga instructors who seem a little, well, lightweight and annoying, but that may just be me.
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