So it would seem that no celebrity or yummy mummy worth their salt can do without their daily stretch and tone session of yoga or pilates. If Madonna’s over fifty (!) physique is anything to go by then yoga and/or pilates (like milk) do the body good.
I’m a church-going, God-loving, Christian girl who tries to steer clear of new-age stuff – I don’t read horoscopes, I don’t subscribe to Eastern philosophies and I take care to edit which of Oprah’s advice I absorb. That being said, I was always a little put of yoga by the chanting and the ‘finding your inner chi’ stuff.
But, personal opinions aside, which is better? Well, here’s the Guardian Online’s take on it:
Yoga v Pilates
Yoga
How quickly will it make a difference?
After eight weeks of thrice-weekly sessions.
How many calories does it burn?
102 per hour for a general, stretch-based class. Power yoga burns 245 per hour.
Will it keep me motivated?
Yoga is all about attaining a sense of unity between body and mind rather than setting and achieving personal targets. However, you will feel accomplishment as you master the postures and there are many different types to try. Specific benefits In a study for the American Council on Exercise (Ace), Professor John Porcari found that women who did three yoga classes a week for eight weeks experienced a 13% improvement in flexibility, with significant gains in shoulder and trunk flexibility. They were able to perform six more press-ups and 14 more sit-ups at the end of the study compared to the beginning.
Risk factors:
Don't fall for the line that celebrities get fit on yoga alone. According to Ace, even power yoga constitutes only a "light aerobic workout".
Pilates
How quickly will it make a difference?
After five to six weeks of thrice-weekly sessions.
How many calories does it burn?
170-237 per hour.
Will it keep me motivated?
Once you start noticing positive changes in the way you move and hold your body, Pilates is hard to give up.
Specific benefits:
Widely used by dancers and top athletes, it improves postural awareness and strength. Studies at Queensland University in Australia have shown that Pilates exercises can develop the deeply embedded traversus abdominal muscles which support the trunk.
Risk factors:
Another study by Ace last year found the cardiovascular benefits of Pilates to be limited. Even an advanced 55-minute session raised participants' heart rates to a maximum of only 62% (below the recommended 64-94% said to constitute an aerobic workout) and was deemed the energy equivalent of walking 3.5 miles an hour. If you have back pain, make sure you see a teacher who is also a physiotherapist, as poor technique can make matters worse.
Victor: Pilates
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