What's the difference between yoga and Pilates?
- Vanessa Flow
- May 5
- 3 min read
Yoga and Pilates are not the same thing, even though they often end up on the same studio timetable and attract a lot of the same people. Both are low-impact, both will make you stronger and both will leave you feeling better than when you walked in. But the way they get you there is quite different.
Most people come in firmly in one camp. Either they're a yoga person or they're a Pilates person - and they'll tell you so with real conviction. What's funny is that most of them, given time, come round to both. They just tend to keep one closer to their heart.
Where did Pilates come from?
Pilates was developed in the early 20th century by Joseph Pilates, a German-born trainer who originally called his method "Contrology." He believed that physical and mental health were deeply connected, and built a system of exercises designed to strengthen the body from the inside out - starting with the core, the breath and the alignment of the spine.
He developed two strands of work: mat-based exercises using just your bodyweight, and apparatus-based work using equipment he designed himself. The most well-known piece of that equipment is the reformer - a sliding carriage with springs and straps that can be adjusted to support or challenge the body in different ways. It was originally designed for people who couldn't work on the floor, whether through injury, illness, or limited mobility. A brilliant piece of kit. But not the only way to do Pilates, despite what Instagram might suggest.
At V Flow we focus entirely on mat-based Pilates. No reformer, minimal equipment. Just you, a mat and a method that's been around for over a century because it genuinely works.
And yoga?
Yoga has been around for thousands of years, originating in ancient India as a practice that was as much philosophical and spiritual as it was physical. The movement side - what most of us mean when we say "a yoga class" - is just one layer of something much deeper. But even if you're just here for the movement, there's a lot to get into.
Because yoga isn't one thing. It never has been. There are dozens of styles, each with a different emphasis, pace, and purpose. Vinyasa links breath to movement in a flowing, athletic sequence. Yin holds poses for minutes at a time to work deep into the connective tissue. Forrest Yoga is intense and therapeutic, built around core strength and emotional release. Restorative is almost entirely passive — props, bolsters, and long holds that allow the nervous system to genuinely settle. Hot Yoga adds heat. Kundalini adds breathwork, chanting, and a very different kind of energy altogether.
This matters, because turning up to a Yin class expecting Vinyasa - or vice versa - will catch you off guard.
At V Flow we run a lot of different styles across the week and we mean it when we say read the descriptions before you book. Not every class will suit every person every day. That's not a flaw in the system, it's the point.
The thing people don't always expect
Yoga is hard. Not just the advanced poses - a well-taught Vinyasa class will work your whole body and leave you genuinely tired. People walk in expecting a gentle stretch and walk out surprised they're sweating. That's not a bad thing. It just means it's doing something.
Pilates surprises people too, just differently. The movements look small and controlled. Then you do twenty reps and realise your core has been working harder than it has in years.
So which one is for you?
Both, eventually. But you have to start somewhere.
If you want to feel stronger, improve your posture, or you're rebuilding after injury, mat Pilates is a solid place to start. Structured, precise, and deeply effective.
If you want something that moves through different needs across the week - energy some days, stillness others, strength when you need it, rest when you don't - yoga has the range to meet you wherever you are.
At V Flow Yoga in Clitheroe we have enough variety in both to build a daily or weekly practice entirely on your own terms. Pilates devotee or yoga lover, you won't run out of things to come back for. And if you're not sure where to start, turn up with an open mind and tell us at the desk.
We'll point you in the right direction.
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