Expanding Minds About Stretching Bodies
Duo Compares Yoga, Pilates
UPDATED: 4:55 p.m. EST April 1, 2004
CHICAGO -- For many, the decision to begin exercising starts with deciding which class to take at the local fitness center -- yoga or pilates.
Two beginners, Lawrence Haggerty and Julia Adams, tested both forms of exercise.
The pair first went to a private pilates workout.
"It seems like you're using your own body weight as a resistance," Adams said. "So it's like lifting weights or working out on a weight machine, but you're using your own body weight and these pulleys."
"Your stomach and butt are pretty much tense for 50 minutes," Haggerty said. "It certainly gets your middle strong. It's great for your posture. It makes you look an inch taller because you stand so much better."
Then Adams and Haggerty experienced a yoga class. Contrary to popular belief, yoga does not only involve sitting on a mat, trying to twist yourself into a pretzel.
"It's largely about flexibility," said Quinn Kearney of Yoga View, a Chicago yoga center. "It's about range of movement, but it's almost more about strength. It's about a deep kind of strength and a different way of using your muscles."
Haggerty found that out after his session.
"I'd always thought that yoga was kind of sitting on the floor and trying to get yourself into strange positions," Haggerty said. "It's probably the hardest workout I've ever done."
"You walk into the room not really ready," Adams said. "You don't know where you're at in your day, and you gradually get into it. It builds up -- you work very, very hard."
Some instructors suggest taking one or two private lessons to build up your knowledge before taking a regular class. Lessons can range from $65 to $90 an hour.
Two beginners, Lawrence Haggerty and Julia Adams, tested both forms of exercise.
The pair first went to a private pilates workout.
"It seems like you're using your own body weight as a resistance," Adams said. "So it's like lifting weights or working out on a weight machine, but you're using your own body weight and these pulleys."
"Your stomach and butt are pretty much tense for 50 minutes," Haggerty said. "It certainly gets your middle strong. It's great for your posture. It makes you look an inch taller because you stand so much better."
Then Adams and Haggerty experienced a yoga class. Contrary to popular belief, yoga does not only involve sitting on a mat, trying to twist yourself into a pretzel.
"It's largely about flexibility," said Quinn Kearney of Yoga View, a Chicago yoga center. "It's about range of movement, but it's almost more about strength. It's about a deep kind of strength and a different way of using your muscles."
Haggerty found that out after his session.
"I'd always thought that yoga was kind of sitting on the floor and trying to get yourself into strange positions," Haggerty said. "It's probably the hardest workout I've ever done."
"You walk into the room not really ready," Adams said. "You don't know where you're at in your day, and you gradually get into it. It builds up -- you work very, very hard."
Some instructors suggest taking one or two private lessons to build up your knowledge before taking a regular class. Lessons can range from $65 to $90 an hour.
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