If you want to increase your strength and flexibility, Pilates might be the better choice. If you want to improve your overall wellness, you might choose yoga. Still, much depends upon the particular classes available to you and the skills and qualifications of the instructors.

Both Pilates and yoga are exercises designed to build strength and improve flexibility. Yoga and Pilates are both good for weight loss — but yoga, especially vinyasa yoga, burns more calories per hour. Deciding between Pilates and yoga comes down to personal preference and whichever gets you most excited to workout.

Combining yoga and Pilates is a natural fit because “both yoga and Pilates require us to focus on the breath, precise movements, proper alignment and our core muscles as we flow through the workout,” she says. The mind-body benefits of fusion workouts include: Better balance. Deeper relaxation.

“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.