Yoga or pilates: Deciding which is right for you

Both pilates and yoga can improve strength, flexibility and posture, as well as relieve stress. Both are considered mind-body practices. And both use the breath as a tool to delve into hard-to-reach places.

But while yoga was originally a spiritual, meditative practice based on the Eastern concept of moving energy through the body, pilates has always been about physical conditioning and "functional fitness."

Correctly engaging and working the core muscles of the body - which reach from the lower rib cage to the pelvic floor - is the foundation of pilates.

The main difference between the two is philosophical: Yoga generally adds "spirit" to the mind-body connection.

The best way to figure out which is right for you is to try both, sampling several different teachers.

Read more...