Pilates VS Yoga

When I tell others about Pilates, most people would tell me, “Oh, I know! That thing that looks like yoga right?”, or “is it the same as yoga?”

In this geographical region yoga has been more established while Pilates is the up and coming "new" fitness trend. Pilates and yoga have exploded in popularity and have millions of enthusiastic practitioners throughout the world. They are both considered 'mind-body' fitness workouts; it makes it even harder for people to tell the difference when some Pilates exercises are actually strikingly similar to that in yoga. Many people would wonder: which is better? Well, as is often the case, there is no simple answer to this question. Both Pilates and yoga have many, many benefits associated with practicing them on a regular basis. Both will help you improve your coordination, flexibility, and posture while relieving stress and reducing 'imbalances' in your musculoskeletal system. But the real difference between Pilates and yoga are probably more philosophical in nature.

So, with my limited knowledge, I attempted to do a super simplified list of the differences between Pilates and yoga here:

Pilates	Yoga
Created about 80-years ago by Joseph Pilates, who was inspired by various exercise methods & systems including the ancient yoga asanas.	An ancient practice that was originally practiced in Northern India over 5,000 years ago.
An exercise system of effective but gentle, whole-body conditioning and corrective exercises. It was first practiced by dancers and gained mass attention in recent years because of its largely aesthetic body sculpting effects.	A lifestyle, rather then simply an exercise. It includes everything from physical postures and healthy diet to breathing, relaxation and meditation skills.
Mainly concentrates on cultivating core strength in the body, lengthening the spine. Also, Pilates is a valuable tool for increasing strength, definition and proper posture	Has a 'spiritual' focus and it aims to work the body equally and unite the body with mind and spirit; and it helps people find harmony and release stress
Pilates has a full complement of mat work, but it also incorporates work on Pilates machines, such as the reformer, cadilac and the barrel.	Yoga has many different styles, but all are generally performed in a group setting on a yoga mat with the aid of a yoga instructor.

In conclusion, although both exercise forms aim at connecting mind and body, Pilates is non-spiritual and takes a scientific approach towards bringing the parts of the body into control and balance. The breathing is different - in Pilates, you pull your stomach in to build abdominal strength, while in Yoga you allow it to expand as you breathe. Pilates is about the body in motion, while Yoga entails holding the body in a variety of poses.