What exactly is Pilates?

You might have heard that it’s an exercise that makes your core strong. That’s right—Pilates does help make your core stronger (by the way, your core includes your deep belly muscles, diaphragm, pelvic floor muscles, and the deepest back muscles(1).

But it’s not just about your core.

In Pilates we try to focus on strengthening also those muscles which are important to keep the correct posture and which are sometimes forgotten during the day. Core is one of them and very important, but other muscles like glutes, hamstrings, inner thighs, obliques, back muscles, etc. are just as important. So we aim to make all these muscles equally strong, which is called balanced muscle development (one of the pilates principles). When it comes to Pilates exercises, they often involve strengthening certain muscle groups while stretching or lengthening others. Pilates exercises can be designed to promote flexibility and mobility in addition to strength, making them effective for enhancing joint range of motion.

A crucial part of Pilates is connecting your mind and body. To get the right muscles working and see good results, you have to concentrate on how you move your body. It’s a bit like being mindful. From what studies and my own experience show, doing Pilates with a certified instructor is way more effective than doing it on your own. An instructor keeps you motivated, helps you do the exercises correctly, and plans the right exercises for your body.

What’s the difference between MAT Pilates and Apparatus Pilates?

Well, as the names suggest, one is done on a mat, and the other uses special equipment designed for Pilates.
This Pilates equipment, like Reformer, was created by Joseph Pilates during World War I when he was helping bedridden patients. He attached springs to beds to help patients do resistance exercises without having to stand up. 
Nowadays’ Reformer is like a spring-based bed and it is the most popular Pilates apparatus. People like it because it feels a bit like exercising on a bed. You can do your workout lying down while strengthening your muscles against resistance without putting too much strain on your spine. It’s great for people with back issues.
There are many other types of Pilates equipment, like Pilates Chairs, Cadillac (also called Trapeze Table), Ladder Barrel, Springboard, and more. Each one is unique and suited for different aspects of training. Using this equipment, especially the Reformer, can be a bit more expensive than mat Pilates classes because it’s specialized gear.

Now, let’s talk about Mat Pilates. It’s just you and a mat. You can think of it as functional training using your own body weight. But here’s the key: you still need that strong connection between your mind and body and exercises are more specific focusing on balanced muscle development. Mats don’t take up too much space so you may see studios offering Mat group classes which are more affordable. 

There’s been research comparing Mat and Apparatus Pilates(2)(3)(4), but the results aren’t crystal clear. Some studies like Apparatus better, some like Mat, and some say they’re about the same.

In my view, when it comes to how hard it is, it depends on how challenging the exercise is and how properly you can do it. Or let me put it this way: If you do beginner Pilates exercise properly with control and focus, it can be realy hard. Also it can be beneficial to begin on Mat to learn basic Pilates Principles and then proceed to Apparatus and apply them.
When it comes to focusing on and working specific muscles (once you understand Pilates), I think on Apparatus you can isolate muscle engagement better. For example, if you want to strengthen your abs, you can really feel it in your abs. Compared to Mat – there are always other body parts working at the same time, which is not bad but it can be a bit trickier for beginners to figure out which muscles are doing the work.

Mat Pilates vs. Yoga 

Every now and then, people wonder if Pilates and Yoga are the same thing. Well, I don’t think they are. Sure, there are some similarities, like using a mat, using our body weight, sometimes going barefoot, and focusing on the connection between our mind and body. But besides that, they’re pretty different.

In my view and based on my experience, Yoga is more about being flexible, trying different Yoga poses, and focusing on different types of breath. In Yoga class, instructors usually don’t talk much about building muscles, working on specific muscles, or making sure you’re in the right position. They often approach exercises from a more spiritual angle.
I wouldn’t say one is better than the other; they’re just different. Recent research also shows that both Pilates and Yoga are good for promoting healthy habits and positive beliefs about well-being(5).

So, it depends on what you want to achieve. Ask yourself what your goal is?

Personally, I do both, and I love both! They help me feel good and stay healthy, which is my goal.