Pilates, yoga-teaching content

[shootingstar]

That's great Grog to have a bunch of people interested and doing there on-site.

Thx for brief comparisons so far, redhodie. I didn't know. Didn't know that pilates was meant to be fast(er). Our class blends in yoga plus pilates ab/core work. She shows us beginner poses/movements plus 1-2 advanced versions, depending on our comfort level when we follow her along.

For certain sequences of 4-5 poses/movements, there are the same sets interspersed with new exercises for each class.

It's important for me to feel healthily stretched and improve my posture as time marches on. Over the years, I have found doing regular stretches, etc. minimizes back and neck pain/stiffness that I get from inactivity (during winter) or from being on the bike saddle for longer rides for several consecutive days. So really, I consider yoga-pilates as preventive, long-term medicine for myself, and very much at a secondary level, for body tone.

My overall balance when walking & standing is important to also. I've known women my age and abit younger who have easily tripped/fallen on the ground/twisted their ankle simply walking on flat level and due to inattention. Some of the yoga poses are great for balance.

[tulip]

Pilates and yoga are very different. For one thing, the breathing technique of each are just about opposite. In yoga (I do very basic Astanga), breathing fills the belly. In Pilates, you scoop your belly when you breathe in. I cannot imagine a combo class because of this fundamental difference.

I've done Pilates for a number of years now. There are some terrible classes available. Stick with classical Pilates taught by a well-trained instructor. Same for yoga, but I don't know as much about yoga.

I do them each--but not both at the same time. I do Pilates in the mornings--I find it energizing. I do yoga in the evenings--it relaxes me and helps me sleep.

If you like your class, keep at it and learn all you can. You might get interested in other classes and forms of yoga, so keep your eyes open. I recently added a tai-chi class once per week and I'm really enjoying it.

Plenty of stretching in Pilates in my experience.