yoga or pilates?

Lavandula · 22nd June 2009, 12:55 PM

I have lower back problems and have been recommended pilates but it doesn't really appeal to me and wondered whether yoga would also help strengthen my back. I also do karate twice a week and I'm not very flexible at the moment which i'd like to improve on - I know yoga can help in this area. Just wondered what people would advise me of and which type of yoga would be best for this. I did a couple hatha yoga sessions about 5 years ago but didn't get on with it but that could have been due to the instructor. thanks

dip into healing · 22nd June 2009, 04:42 PM

Hey!

Yoga is brilliant for back strengthening.... I was going to recommend Hatha.... However....

With yoga, there are different styles like Iyengar - which is very much based on posture and correct alignment, there is Kundalini, which is lots of seated postures that concentrate on upper body and raising energy. There is Bikram, which is aerobic and sweaty (done in heated rooms - so detoxifying). There is Pranayama - which is lots of breath work and relaxation and then Hatha - which is a balance between breathwork, meditation, postures and stretching. Hatha is an allrounder, and each teacher has their own style, so you could go through various teachers till you find the one you resonate with!

Good luck!

Dipti xx

Cascara · 26th July 2009, 07:27 PM

I think pilates is better for lower back pain, the breathing is different to yoga and holds the core muscles better, but thats just my opinion

Binah · 26th July 2009, 07:53 PM

I haven't tried pilates yet, but intend to this week. I do go regularly to a yoga class, which helps me.

Quote:

I did a couple hatha yoga sessions about 5 years ago but didn't get on with it but that could have been due to the instructor. thanks

The instructor is so important. Try another before you make up your mind. I think you need to try more than a couple of sessions, as it takes a while to strengthen the muscles and improve flexibility in my mind.

Binah
x

Cascara · 27th July 2009, 12:23 PM

You are so right that the teacher is of utmost importance. It makes a normal class ito something special if the teacher is good

Frances B · 28th July 2009, 10:17 PM

Hello Lavandula,

I totally agree with the fact that you need a good teacher. I have done ashtanga yoga for several years and love it, but it is interesting the variety you can get from different teachers, and some have been truly inspirational and you get more than just core strength from the class. I have done a few pilates classes and didn't enjoy them as much but am sure they will be effective for your back. Body balance was something else I loved, have you heard of that?

My favourite teacher was Jane Sleven, she was based in Exeter and upto Dorset I think, not sure if she does anything in Bristol. Have fun finding something that works for you though.

vicki · 25th August 2009, 10:20 PM

not an expert at either but pilates is known for strenghtening your core so i would say pilates but try both and see what you prefer! or try doing both although it may be best to stick to one for a while otherwise you may not know which one is helping best

kvdp · 21st January 2010, 12:17 PM

You've said it - the instructor is all-important. Yoga is not a set of exercises, it is a philosophy, an intention, and it leaves the class with you. Many people extract the exercises and think this is Yoga, or worse, treat it as a race, or a competitive sport.

In essence Yoga is about coordination - the coherence and unity of function of the body. De-coordination is illness, and total decoordination is death.

In contrast, pilates can come over as a form of micromanagement for lots of different parts of the body, the hope being that if they are all correct, the whole system will be correct. The oppsite of this is saying that all parts of the body exist in a context, and that their environment is all-important to how those parts work.

Before I get shot down in flames by pilates enthusiasts, however, I repeat that the vision of the teacher is still the most important element, not which school they went to.

Whichever way you think of the body - as a machine made of lots of parts, which sometimes need individual attention - or as a coordinated whole that responds and adapts, and is always correct in its responses - pick your way, and make sure you have an excellent teacher.

But first, I would say find a practitioner who can give you a holistic diagnosis for your pain, starting from the premise that the signals of pain are telling you something important. Holistic, of course, doesn't mean covering lots of different things, it means understanding the unity and coordination of function, and why it has manifested in this problem. In other words, seek to understand the problem, before applying your solution!