Pilates Vs. Yoga: Which Is Better for Cross-Training?

Both Yoga and Pilates offer a mind-body practice and a low-impact way to cross-train.

- By Jennifer Acker

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.