by TheRevSteve

Question by Aud: What is the difference between yoga, yogilates, and pilaties?
I am interested in signed up for a class at my gym but I don’t know what the difference between them are. I’m looking to drop around 15 pounds. Which would be best for weight loss and what do each or them consist of.
I don’t know if this matters but I ‘m a 14 year old girl who goes to the gym regularly.

Best answer:

Answer by Jonathan
Yoga is an ancient system of training the mind, body, and spirit. The primary form of yoga training is meditation, which trains the mind to let go of distraction and helps you relax. But what is most practiced in gyms is the postures or asanas. This physical practice is called hatha yoga, and there are over 500 different poses. There are also different styles of the practice, including Vinyasa, Iyengar, Astanga, Power Yoga, Kripalu, Anusaura, Bikram, etc. Since you are new to yoga, you might want to check out some different books on yoga and learn about them before you take a class. One thing that is consistent are the names of the poses, so when you are doing Warrior One, it is pretty much the same in any class. Be aware that Bikram only has 24 poses and is done in a heated room up to 120 degrees. For most teens, this is too intense, and I would recommend a gentler form of yoga to start. Expect to work on a mat and to do both seated and standing exercises that emphasize flexibility and balance. Average length of a yoga class is 75 minutes.
Pilates was created by Joseph Pilates, a German fitness guru, who came to the New York in the 1920s. He developed his system of training based on his experience as a circus performer, boxer, and gymnast, and also from years of working with people who came to him with muscular imbalances or injuries. You can read more about him and Pilates on wikipedia. The group classes in Pilates may vary due to the lack of any consistent standards in the certification of instructors, but usually they are based on the 34 mat exercises Joseph wrote about in is book “Contrology”. Many of these exercises are too advanced for the average person, so modifications and variations in the exercises have been added to most matwork classes. The key thing about Pilates is that you are really focusing on your core muscles, the ones that stabilize you, and your alignment. This is very important for learning how to hold your body correctly and move with greater efficiency. Most of the exercises are done on the floor on a mat. Sometimes, you may use a few props like a Magic Circle or light dumbells. Average length of a Pilates mat class is 60 minutes.
Yogilates is a trademarked system created in 1997 by certified Pilates instructor and yoga veteran Jonathan Urla. If you would like the best of both worlds, this might work for you. You still get the focus on the hatha practice of the yoga postures, blended with the core strength and stability of Pilates technique. Most Yogilates classes are also done with music and you get to do some dance-like combination movements that develop grace and power and burn more calories than a typical yoga or pilates class. One caveat, there are not that many certified Yogilates instructors in the country. Check the website for a list of instructors www.yogilates.com. I wouldn’t take a class from someone who isn’t certified in Yogilates as it might be dangerous.
Good luck with your weight loss goals!!

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