Pilates Vs. Yoga: Which Is Better for Cross-Training?
Runner's World US|Issue 05, 2022
Both Yoga and Pilates offer a mind-body practice and a low-impact way to cross-train.
By Jennifer Acker
Pilates Vs. Yoga: Which Is Better for Cross-Training?

But if you've ever wondered what the differences are between the two workouts and which one is right for you, we've got your ultimate guide. The good news for runners is you can benefit from both. Here's how.

The similarities between Pilates and yoga

Both of these practices bring a focus to your breathing and rarely involve jumping that leads to high impact on the bones and joints, and you can tailor each practice to different fitness levels. Plus, you can do both Pilates and yoga with minimal equipment-just your mat and time to focus on your movement.

Even better: Pilates and yoga both offer research-backed health benefits. For example, a study by researchers from the New York University Grossman School of Medicine, published in 2020, found that yoga has the potential to reduce anxiety, thanks to its mindfulness approach.

Another meta-review, published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology in 2014, highlights yoga's effectiveness at improving cardio-metabolic health, as it improved blood pressure, cholesterol, heart rate, and triglyceride numbers.

As for Pilates, a systematic review published in Frontiers in Neurology in 2021 says the physicality of a session can promote strength, balance, and flexibility in adults over age 55. Because it's a mind-body form of training, Pilates can also improve quality of life, sleep, and mood states, the research says.

Another systematic review and meta-analysis published in PLoS One in 2021 says that both practices, Pilates and yoga, may help older women between the ages of 45 and 78 maintain bone-mineral density and that these forms of exercise are beneficial for strength and balance.

Esta historia es de la edición Issue 05, 2022 de Runner's World US.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

Esta historia es de la edición Issue 05, 2022 de Runner's World US.

Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.

MÁS HISTORIAS DE RUNNER'S WORLD USVer todo
TO RUN 26.2 IS TO FEEL ALIVE
Runner's World US

TO RUN 26.2 IS TO FEEL ALIVE

THE SUN IS rising from the east, and the waves of the Pacific crash below to the west.

time-read
2 minutos  |
Fall 2024
LEAVE IT UP TO A PIECE OF PAPER TO TEACH YOU TO RUN EASY
Runner's World US

LEAVE IT UP TO A PIECE OF PAPER TO TEACH YOU TO RUN EASY

BEFORE I FELL for running, I thought the hardest thing about the sport was the fast stuff: the speedwork, the sprints, and the intervals.

time-read
3 minutos  |
Fall 2024
WHY-AND HOW-YOU SHOULD RUN DOUBLES
Runner's World US

WHY-AND HOW-YOU SHOULD RUN DOUBLES

Those are just a few of the titles entered into my training log for the second run of a day.

time-read
2 minutos  |
Fall 2024
FIND YOUR RUNNING COMMUNITY, ONLINE OR IN PERSON
Runner's World US

FIND YOUR RUNNING COMMUNITY, ONLINE OR IN PERSON

I SIGNED UP for my first marathon while sobbing in the back of a rideshare, on my way to the airport to fly to my uncle's funeral.

time-read
3 minutos  |
Fall 2024
FUEL WITH WHAT YOU WANT TO EAT
Runner's World US

FUEL WITH WHAT YOU WANT TO EAT

AS AN ULTRARUNNER, I'm all too familiar with the saying that long-distance running is an \"eating contest with a running component.\"

time-read
2 minutos  |
Fall 2024
AT THE FERTILITY CLINIC, MY PAST CAUGHT UP WITH ME
Runner's World US

AT THE FERTILITY CLINIC, MY PAST CAUGHT UP WITH ME

I SAT IN the fertility doctor's office white walls, bare wooden desk, opaque window-alone.

time-read
7 minutos  |
Fall 2024
THIS IS NOT AN ESCAPE STORY
Runner's World US

THIS IS NOT AN ESCAPE STORY

AT 15, DARLENE STUBBS WALKED AWAY FROM A POLYGAMOUS CULT-THEN DISCOVERED A NEW LIFE AND COMMUNITY THROUGH RUNNING.

time-read
10+ minutos  |
Fall 2024
RUNNING WITH HANK
Runner's World US

RUNNING WITH HANK

How my daughter's rambunctious mutt saved my sanity while she was lost to the darkness.

time-read
10+ minutos  |
Fall 2024
WHEN I FOUND OUT I HAD MS.I THOUGHT I'D NEVER RUN AGAIN.
Runner's World US

WHEN I FOUND OUT I HAD MS.I THOUGHT I'D NEVER RUN AGAIN.

I checked the pins on my bib, shimmied my spandex shorts into place, and teed up the stopwatch on my wrist.

time-read
10+ minutos  |
Fall 2024
A RUNNER'S GUIDE to sleep
Runner's World US

A RUNNER'S GUIDE to sleep

Nike rocked the running world in 2018 when it released the Vaporfly 4%, claiming that the shoe could boost a runner's efficiency by that amount.

time-read
10+ minutos  |
Fall 2024