Trying to figure out how to plan your exercise routine can be challenging. Sometimes you need a heavy workout, sometimes just a stretch might do, and sometimes you need to find calm and control inside your mind and soul. This post will guide you on doing yoga and Pilates on the same day to achieve that holistic happiness.
Since yoga and Pilates have many overlapping poses it is possible to do yoga and Pilates on the same day, either within one session or as separate workouts. There is no problem to doing both on the same day, doing them separately is effective as you can maximize each practice’s benefits.
Of course, even though they have some similarities, yoga and Pilates are different, let’s see how you can consider your overall workout routine and decide what combination would benefit you the most.
The Benefits Of Yoga And Pilates
It is good to do yoga and Pilates as part of a balanced lifestyle. They are both forms of exercise almost anyone can take up and will benefit from once in the habit of doing them.
One of the health benefits they share is providing a break from life, so many of us are always rushing from one activity to the next with a million things demanding our attention all at once.
Have you ever needed your workout to do more than just work your physical muscles? Do you have an aching back from sitting at the computer all day (and possibly all night)? Maybe you feel like you are on the edge of a mental breakdown from the stress of trying to live up to social media standards?
It is very possible that yoga and Pilates are the ideal solution to your woes!
The Basics Of Yoga And Pilates
Understanding the benefits these practices bring to the mat will help you determine how you can utilize each exercise to complement each other and your lifestyle.
Yoga essentially has three elements: Asanas, Pranayama, and Concentration.
- Asanas are also known as yoga poses, and they create elongation of the body in different movement planes; it is the exercise part of yoga.
- Pranayama is the breathing part of yoga. Mastering this breathing technique creates a feeling of tranquillity and inner calm.
- Concentration brings together the pose and the breathing to create a meditative state of awareness.
Doing yoga has a positive impact on your mental health, as well as benefiting your physical condition. It develops harmony between your mind and body – no more uncontrollable mental breakdowns. Your fit body hosts a healthy mind.
Pilates builds on that healthy yoga mind. Pilates mainly emphasizes the strengthening of the core to create a powerful and balanced body.
The movements are more dynamic than in yoga and are beneficial for strength, control, and endurance in the whole body. It can be done without equipment, the moves make use of body weight to provide resistance, but some make use of rings, foam rollers, balls, small weights or even the Reformer to add in additional challenges.
As with yoga, flexibility is an integral part of Pilates. It supports good posture and helps with those long hours in front of the laptop, helping to increase your fitness level and energy levels.
The Benefits Of Doing Yoga And Pilates Together
As outlined above, yoga and Pilates have plenty of similarities. Focusing on breathing, flexibility, range of motion, and the mind-body connection is essential to both. Combing these two practices into a mega workout or doing them on the same day will ensure that you get strength and flexibility in their purest forms – mentally as well as physically.
It is unlikely you will find a yoga teacher teaching Pilates at the same time, or a Pilates teacher teaching yoga at the same time, so you could either go to separate classes, or become proficiant enough in both to be able to combine the two in a single workout.
There are plenty of similarities, but the differences are why doing yoga and Pilates together or on the same day is hugely beneficial:
- You will strengthen with Pilates and lengthen with yoga to manage sore muscles.
- You will concentrate on your physical being with Pilates and connect to your mental well-being in yoga.
- You will develop new breathing techniques, learning from each discipline.
Tune in to your body and understand that your mind has a tight connection to your movements.
Should You Do Yoga Or Pilates First?
Deciding whether to do yoga or Pilates first in your workout is up to how you feel that day. Yoga is a more mentally focused workout and can create a calming feeling. On the other hand, more vigorous forms of yoga can challenge you more physically.
The Pilates exercises make you feel like you are doing an activity while therapeutically moving your body. Its primary focus is on controlling the physical movements to create strength and stability within the core.
The exercise order will depend on what type of yoga you want to combine with the Pilates workout. More vigorous yoga can serve as a warm-up to your Pilates session, and a gentler yoga flow can be an excellent cool down.
If you feel like you want to get a workout in and end it off with meditative practice, you could do Pilates first. If you feel like you need to calm yourself and get your mind aligned before starting your strength-focused Pilates workout, do yoga first. There are no set rules to which should go first. As with the actual practices: listen to your mind and body as a whole.
Can You Combine Yoga And Pilates Into One Workout?
Yes, you absolutely can, and it is encouraged. Combining yoga and Pilates creates the possibility to benefit from both practices within the duration of one session. Perfect for when you’re in a pinch for time but need the good feels from both yoga and Pilates!
In yoga, the pose incorporates the whole body and flows create seamless transitions to move between poses. Pilates tends to focus on a specific muscle group – most frequently the core – and repeatedly target that muscle group to build strength. A strong core supports correct yoga techniques.
That means that yoga and Pilates complement each other very well. They both emphasize flexibility, breathing, stability, and strength in their own way. Many of the poses are the same in the two practices – even more proof that combining the two is the new routine you should give a go.
Similar exercises or poses in yoga and Pilates include:
| Pilates | Yoga |
| Open Leg Balance | Boat Pose |
| Roll Over | Plow Pose |
| Swan | Cobra |
| Front Support | Plank |
| Pilates Push-Up | Chaturanga (Four-Limbed Staff Pose) |
How Many Times Should You Do Yoga And Pilates In a Week?
As with any type of exercise, you will experience optimum results if you do it at least three times a week. If you can manage to do yoga and Pilates more than three times a week, it would be even more beneficial.
Most importantly: be consistent and practice regularly. This is true whatever form of exercise you do, always be consistent.
It doesn’t matter whether you are following online videos to save travel time (or avoiding the stress of traffic) or attending physical classes, aim to do some activity three to four times a week.
Ultimately, you need to work with what you have. Prioritize your overall health and find a frequency that will suit your lifestyle. It would be quite counterproductive if you are stressing out about not doing yoga and Pilates more often. Be gentle on yourself, find your balance and work towards improving that.
Conclusion
Yoga and Pilates are both practices that connect to the mind, yoga more so than Pilates. How to do yoga and Pilates on the same day depends on what your current workout routine entails. It is a good idea to listen to what your mind and body tell you on that day.
Try a session that includes some overlapping exercises between the two practices. Reap all the perks from both yoga and Pilates in one workout. Maybe you would prefer two separate sessions to maximize the benefits from both.
Overall, it’s not difficult to do yoga and Pilates together, and there is no set guide to how to do them on the same day. Doing them side by side will most certainly benefit you more than just practising one of the two.
Do a wake-up flow of yoga before heading into Pilates, or finish your Pilates session off with a light yoga session. Essentially, decide what you want out of your workouts that day and always remember to balance it out.
