So my girlfriends asked me to join them for yoga or pilates and I really do – but i can only afford time for one – at 45 – one needs to keep nimble and healthy at the same time.  So which one do I choose – when both i am sure has its own good points.   So I started reading up on it to find out more like i did on pronexin when my kid needed it.

I also asked myself – what do i hope to achieve by doing either one ?  is it to lose weight or to gain stamina and strength?  Do I want to build muscles? or burn calories or for posture or stress relief?  for i hear yoga is mostly about calming the spirit.

Let’s take yoga first. Yoga is based on the Eastern idea of moving energy through your body. The more freely the energy flows, the healthier and more energetic you feel. Physical tension hinders the flow; over time, areas of tension in your body can become tight and rigid, even painful. The goal of yoga is to keep the body supple through movement and stretching. But there’s another dimension. Yoga is a holistic spiritual discipline with its roots in Eastern forms of meditation. The physical postures, although they condition the body, are really aimed at the mind. They symbolize the goal of living your life in a state of balance and composure. When I spend an hour in a yoga class, I melt into a kind of meditative state and emerge wonderfully relaxed and refreshed.

Pilates on the other hand is physical conditioning first and foremost — and there’s nothing quite like it. Its creator, Joseph Pilates, was looking for a way to rehabilitate injured soldiers after World War I. He developed an assortment of curious machines with names like the “Reformer” and the “Cadillac.” Using cables and trolleys and unusual body positioning, Pilates exercises stretch and strengthen and are unique in their ability to encourage coordination between the muscles that stabilize the body.

So which one would i choose – I think I am taking Yoga – what about you?  Yoga or Pilates is for all ages – but they have the beginners and then it goes from there.  Healthy lifestyle is what i want – because I want to watch my kids grow up and have their own kids – so it’s important – that i do things to help my own body and keep healthy.