“And the more core strength you have in Pilates, the easier it is to do certain poses in yoga. The two are really complementary to each other.” “My ideal workout would be Pilates to warm up my core, jump on the bike or tread, and then finish with a yoga workout,” says McGee.

So it appears Pilates and yoga can help improve flexibility, though yoga may have the added bonus. Most of the studies on Pilates uncovered that there was a difference in the hamstring flexibility of the participants whereas with yoga, it appears there may be an increase in whole body flexibility.

Pilates is certainly a more intense workout that burns calories faster and produces physical results quicker, so you could make the argument that Pilates is the harder of the two. But again, everything comes down to what you wish to get out of the class and the methods your instructor takes to get you there.

The benefits for both are huge and the evidence for both is strong. As a general rule, yoga focuses a bit more on stretching, and Pilates a bit more on strength. However, they will each lead to improvements in both components and it really depends on your teacher, your personal preferences and your goals.