Yoga or Pilates?

Which is best for improving flexibility or will either do the job? Is Piyo the best of both worlds? I suspect it may come down to whatever one has a class on at a suitable time. Also I’m guessing once a week won’t be enough so how much do you need to do?

Pilates for me, never tried Yoga.

Yoga for me tried Pilates did not get on with it. Yoga can be pretty hard physically, not all chanting and third eyes but as you point out often it comes down to class availability

Yoga for me, never tried Pilates 😀

I do 10 mins every morning, and as many longer sessions (30 mins to an hour) as I can fit in during the week (normally do 1 or 2). As you say once a week is not enough, I didn’t “get” yoga until I was doing it more often than that.

I found pilates really helpful, even once a week, does take a while though. I never really enjoyed it, but enjoyed the benefits, stronger core etc, it does depend on the teacher massively too, i gave up relatively recently after struggling to get to the glasses and it being a bit of a girls club, they’d be horrified to realise but it found it a bit wearing being the only male. The teacher didn’t really help.

Never done yoga my wife has she says i wouldnt enjoy the more spiritual elements, shes probably right. But again finding a class and teacher that suits is key.

Currently struggling to find a class that fits timing wise, but defintely will do pilates again when i can find one, or work schedule gets more predictable.

Done both, for flexibility I’d go yoga. For flexibility and core strength go pilates. Overall, I’d go pilates if you can find a decent instructor.

EDIT: as above, finding a decent class at the right time can be the tricky bit.

I used to go once a week for the yoga down at Musselburgh leisure centre. It was a good class, definitely once a week was enough to make a difference but over 3 or so months. The good thing is once you go to enough classes it’s quite easy to practice at home. I’d like to try pilates, but it’s class availability for me. I’ve also had really good results with yoga so not in too much of a rush.

Pilates for me – weekly is good. I get in the groove and find myself watching TV waving my legs about/stretching by habit (humans are such habitual creatures!). Really helps unwind my back and get everything straight again.

Wife does yoga and I am put off by the snippets I get from the class e.g. such classics as “its better to eat small animals (e.g. chicken) than large animals (e.g. beef) as (wait for it) small animals are by virtue of their size easier to digest.” She seems to enjoy it – if you have a busy life an hour of “you time” is wonderfully de-stressing – regardless of what you are doing…

TM

Both are good, I do a mix of yoga, Pilates and body balance (yoga/Pilates mix) classes two to three times a week with two or three swims,
best thing I’ve ever done exercise wise,
I started after my back went and I couldn’t stand up for a week, it sorted it right out..

I’ve been doing yoga for about 18 months and it has massively improved my flexibility and back problems, much better value for money than the osteopath. I do the class once a week and but a couple of shorter sessions throughout the week if I feel I need it, the more cycling I do the more yoga is required.

Thankfully, despite being a little odd, there has been no hocus pocus bullshit from the instructor. The class is iyengar which really focuses on proper form and allows you to really get the most from each pose.

The pilates class I’ve been doing for the past 6 months or so is great for core strength, not so much for flexibility. Given the comments above I’d say yoga is probably better for this, but it depends massively on the instructor.

The pilates class I’ve been doing for the past 6 months or so is great for core strength, not so much for flexibility. Given the comments above I’d say yoga is probably better for this, but it depends massively on the instructor.

agree with all this. Try a few classes as you won’t get a true picture with one instructor. Work out what you want too – why do you want to be more flexible?

TM

How can a man in his forties attend a yoga class without everyone in the room automatically assuming he is some kind of lecherous sex perv?

This is a real barrier to entry as far as I am concerned.

How can a man in his forties attend a yoga class without everyone in the room automatically assuming he is some kind of lecherous sex perv?

This is a real barrier to entry as far as I am concerned.

Depends on the class. I went to a gents only Pilates class for years. I bet there’s blokes only yoga if that bothers you. If you really want to go you’ll find a way.

TM

How can a man in his forties attend a yoga class without everyone in the room automatically assuming he is some kind of lecherous sex perv?

50% of our class are blokes in their 40s. No-one is assuming anything.
Maybe the ladies have come to ogle us? 😉

Maybe the ladies have come to ogle us?

Only if it’s blind yoga. I do smell nice.

Yoga. I have tried both. Great thing with Yoga is you can learn the basic poses and do them anywhere, you don’t need any “equipemt” really. I was told by a phsyio to cut down on my Yoga as I am too flexible, so focus on certain basic positons and core strength poses

@perchy if you are worried about that take a spot at front to one side. Then all you see is yourself.

Namaste 🙂

@perchy if you are worried about that take a spot at front to one side. Then all you see is yourself.

Nah! You’ve misunderstood. I am actually a lecherous sex perv.
I was just wondering how to get away with it. 🙂

How can a man in his forties attend a yoga class without everyone in the room automatically assuming he is some kind of lecherous sex perv?

This is a real barrier to entry as far as I am concerned.

I went to my first yoga class last night. 41, I was the only bloke. it was a *bit* weird at the start but luckily another woman turned up who knows me and crucially that I have a wife. Just got to tough it out. Definitely going back so they will get used to me.

Stick with it. It wouldn’t matter if you were single. You are there for the yoga.

I was the only bloke at first, now there’s half a dozen of us,
Bastards keep blocking the view….

There’s a couple of Yoga classes nearby in the evening, one is 90 mins which I fear may finish me off but I guess I don’t have to do the full class. Part of the reason for doing it is I get a bit of back pain which I think is a result of my job as a gardener and years of cycling. I tend to roll out of bed in the morning these days.

Of that 90mins, there will be some relaxation and the start and end, along with some gentle warm-up too. 90mins total sounds about right.

OP yes 90 mins straight off will be tough. IMHO go along and focus on basic sun salutations and the breathing techniques (basically longer slower breaths with extra gentle stretch on the out breath), take it easy. Then get in the habit of doing these every morning, even if just 5 mins before you shower. It will help. IME strength comes more slowly with yoga but its excellent for core strength.

@peachy 🙂 I used to do classes in Singapore, didn’t even notice the Western girls so they most defineitly couldn’t accuse me of being a letch 😉

Have a look at Abi Carvers yoga moves/stretches for cyclists,

How to release chronically tight hamstrings by Abi Carver

Pain relieving Yoga moves for cyclists by Abi Carver

I do Pilates at least once a week. As it is a class that does classical mat and don’t go in thinking that it is about flexibility and not excercise. Pilates is more focuses on core strength and to do that you have to load the core.

Yoga on the other hand Yoga is more based around the flexibility, but does engage the core just as much with some of the poses. I find some of the guff that. Goes with it to be twaddle, but that depends on Who is taking the class.

Your best bet is to try the class first and see if you get on with it.

Mrs J is a Pilates instructor
She reckons Pilates + Piyo is a good combo

Pilates. My take is that Pilates is more “functional” movements and translates more in to differences felt during sport/ daily life whereas Yoga feels like flexible willy waving that makes you more able to do odd stuff but it doesn’t really relate to stuff you do day to day (besides maybe exploring the full repertoire of karma su…). A good stretching routine will keep you more than adequately flexible while Pilates will make you feel a bit more betterer

Yoga – tried Pilates & didn’t get on with it but have been doing yoga for 6 + years now. There are lots of different types so you need to get along to classes & see what suits you & find a teacher you like. I do a mix of stuff – vinyasa/ flow + hatha. Yes you will get more flexible but core strength is at the heart of it all & you have to be pretty darn strong to hold some of the poses with good form. Once you’ve been doing it a while it’s easy to self practice & it becomes natural to fit in yoga postures with other stretch stuff you might do at the gym for e.g. Chanting is entirely optional 😉

I use those Abi Carver videos somafunk linked to, do them when I can fit one in. Noticed a difference after a few sessions.

Also went to a night class a few months ago, not the only bloke so didn’t look like a perv but was a bit put off by all the middle-aged women breaking wind every few minutes 😆

Oh yeah – farts. Forgot about that point. My top tip is not to have an evening of ales before the following morning’s yoga class. One or 2 is fine, but don’t get to the fog threshold, because yoga will double it.

Yoga is generally better for flexibility in my experience. The whole point of it is balance and flexibility, pilates can bring on some great power though. Sod it, do both. Fitness will be through the roof

Fair warning though pilates can hurt like a bitch

Steven I go to an informal iyengar yoga session on Monday evenings in south Edinburgh, it’s not a formal class as it’s a friend training to be a teacher so it’s unofficial, uninsured, etc, just yoga with friends really. I could ask if you fancy coming too as you’re a friend (aww). I think it’s very good, and there has been no mention of the word energy or eating of small animals or any wishy washy stuff.

It would depend on time, Monday is one of the nights I currently do pick up from the Commie. Although I might be able to change that.

The whole point of it is balance and flexibility

The physical side is obviously very important but certainly not the “point” of yoga. If you ignore/dismiss the spiritual & mindful elements you are missing out on a lot. (Not sold on that small animals bollox though!!)