Yoga vs Pilates vs Barre: What’s the Difference and Which Is Best for You?
Yoga, Pilates and barre are three of those forms of exercise I’d heard about for years before I really understood what the difference was between them.
From the outside, they can look remarkably similar. There are mats, leggings, controlled movements and considerably less charging around than you’d expect from something like an aerobics or HIIT class. Depending on the class, you might even find some of the same movements appearing in more than one.
They aren’t interchangeable, though.
Yoga, Pilates and barre have different origins and tend to place the emphasis on different things. One might suit you perfectly while another leaves you wondering why everybody else seems to be enjoying themselves.
If you’re trying to decide which to try, particularly if you’re new to exercise or don’t particularly fancy traditional gym workouts, here’s what I’d want to know before booking a class.
What’s the difference between yoga, Pilates and barre?
The simplest way I think about them is that yoga combines physical poses with breathing and often mindfulness, Pilates concentrates particularly on controlled movement, strength and stability, while barre takes inspiration from ballet alongside elements of Pilates and other forms of exercise.
That’s a very simplified explanation because there are different styles within all three.
A gentle yoga class, for example, can feel completely different from a fast-flowing session. Pilates can be done on a mat or using specialist equipment such as a reformer, while one barre class might involve lots of small controlled movements and another may feel considerably more energetic.
This is why I’d always look at the description of an individual class rather than assuming that liking or disliking one session tells you how you’ll feel about every version of that exercise.
What is yoga actually like?
Yoga has been practised for thousands of years and is much more than simply an exercise programme, although many people in the UK initially encounter it as a way of becoming more active.
A typical class involves moving through different positions while paying attention to your breathing, but exactly what you do depends enormously on the type of yoga.
Some styles are slow and gentle, with poses held for longer periods, while others flow more quickly from one position to another and can be surprisingly physically demanding.
Flexibility is probably the thing most associated with yoga, and I think that puts some people off before they’ve even tried it. If you can’t touch your toes, you might look at somebody folded elegantly in half and decide yoga clearly isn’t meant for you.
You don’t need to arrive flexible. Improving flexibility can be one of the reasons for doing it.
Yoga can also involve strength and balance because holding your own body in different positions can require rather more effort than it appears to when somebody experienced is doing it.
If the breathing, slower pace and more mindful side of movement appeal to you, yoga might be a good place to start.
I’ve got a separate guide looking at whether yoga counts as exercise and the different styles available, so have a read of that if yoga is the option you’re leaning towards.
How is Pilates different?
Pilates is much newer than yoga and was developed by Joseph Pilates in the twentieth century.
It places a lot of emphasis on controlled movement, posture, stability and strength, particularly around the trunk or “core”. You generally move quite deliberately rather than trying to complete as many repetitions as possible in a set amount of time.
That doesn’t mean Pilates is easy.
I think gentle-looking exercise is sometimes unfairly dismissed because it doesn’t involve jumping around until you’re dripping with sweat. Try holding your body in the correct position while doing a slow, controlled Pilates movement and you may discover muscles you didn’t realise had been invited!
The NHS describes Pilates as focusing on balance, posture, strength and flexibility and offers beginner sessions for people who want to try it at home.
Mat Pilates requires very little equipment beyond somewhere comfortable to exercise. Reformer Pilates is different because it uses a specialist machine with springs and a moving platform to provide resistance and assistance during different movements.
You absolutely don’t need a reformer to “properly” do Pilates.
If you like the idea of controlled exercise that helps you work on strength, stability and flexibility without lots of high-impact movement, Pilates might appeal to you.
I’ve got a separate beginner’s Pilates guide as well as a closer look at whether Pilates can help with weight loss, so I’m not going to repeat all of that here.
And what exactly is barre?
Barre is probably the least familiar of the three.
As the name suggests, it takes inspiration from the ballet barre, although you don’t need to have danced in your life and nobody is expecting you to arrive in a tutu.
A barre workout generally combines ballet-inspired positions with small, repeated movements and elements borrowed from other forms of exercise, often including Pilates. Classes may use a barre for support along with equipment such as resistance bands, light weights or exercise balls.
One thing that can surprise beginners is how difficult those tiny movements can become.
Moving your leg a couple of centimetres repeatedly doesn’t look terribly dramatic, but your muscles may have quite strong opinions about it after a while.
Barre tends to appeal to people who enjoy structured classes and controlled strength-based movement but want something that can feel a little more energetic than some Pilates sessions.
You don’t need ballet experience, although the terminology and positions might take a little getting used to at first. A beginner-friendly instructor should expect that.
Which is best if you’re completely unfit?
I’d choose based on the specific class, not simply whether the word yoga, Pilates or barre is written on the timetable.
There are beginner versions of all three, but there are also much more demanding versions.
If I hadn’t exercised for years, I wouldn’t book myself straight into an advanced power yoga class simply because somebody told me yoga was gentle. Equally, I’d look for beginner Pilates rather than assuming every Pilates workout would automatically suit my current fitness.
The NHS has a beginner Pilates workout that specifically goes back to basics, which gives you a good idea of how adaptable Pilates can be.
Whatever you choose, tell the instructor you’re new. A decent instructor won’t expect you to know what you’re doing and should be able to explain alternatives where appropriate.
This is something I feel strongly about after exercising at very different weights and fitness levels over the years. Starting with an easier version isn’t failing at exercise. It’s simply starting where your body is now rather than where you’d like it to be eventually.
What if you’re overweight?
Being overweight doesn’t automatically rule out any of these.
I’ve exercised at significantly different weights over the years, and one thing I’ve become much more aware of is that having a larger body can affect how comfortable certain movements feel.
It isn’t necessarily a lack of fitness either.
Sometimes your stomach or thighs physically get in the way of a position. Getting up and down from the floor repeatedly might be difficult, or a pose that an instructor demonstrates may simply not work in quite the same way with your proportions.
That doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong.
A good instructor should be able to offer alternatives and use props or different positions to make movements more accessible. This is one of the reasons I much prefer the idea of finding exercise that works for your body rather than trying to force your body into somebody else’s idea of what exercise should look like.
If getting onto the floor is particularly difficult, you could also look for chair-based yoga or Pilates. The NHS even has chair-based Pilates sessions, so adaptations aren’t some lesser version of the “real” exercise.
Finding a fitness routine you can stick to
Which is best for strength?
All three can involve strength, although they approach it differently.
Pilates uses controlled movements and your own body weight to challenge muscles and is particularly associated with core stability. Barre also involves muscular endurance because you often repeat small movements or hold positions for periods of time.
Yoga can be surprisingly strength-based too. Supporting your body weight through poses and moving between them requires muscular effort, particularly in more physically demanding styles.
Research supports some benefits from Pilates for things such as strength, flexibility and balance, although it doesn’t appear to be magically superior to every other type of exercise.
That’s an important distinction.
You don’t need to find the exercise that scientists have crowned “the best”. If two activities both improve strength but you absolutely hate one of them, the other one is probably considerably more useful to you in real life.
Which is best for flexibility and balance?
Yoga and Pilates are both good options to explore if these are priorities for you.
Pilates research has found improvements in flexibility and balance in some groups, while yoga research has also found benefits for physical function, including balance and flexibility.
Barre incorporates balance too, particularly because of its ballet-inspired movements and positions.
Again, I wouldn’t choose between them based on a tiny difference reported in a research study. I’d try the one that sounds most appealing and see how you get on.
If you enjoy it, you’re considerably more likely to practise it regularly enough to experience any benefit.
Yoga vs Pilates vs barre for bad knees or joint problems
This is where I wouldn’t tell you that one of the three is automatically “safe”.
All are generally lower impact than activities involving lots of running and jumping, but low impact doesn’t mean appropriate for every injury or joint condition.
Some yoga positions involve significant knee bending. Pilates exercises can put your body into positions that aren’t suitable for a particular injury, and barre can involve repeated bending and holding positions through the legs.
The right choice depends on what’s wrong and which movements affect you.
If you’ve got an existing injury or health condition, check whether a class is suitable and speak to an appropriate healthcare professional if you’re unsure. The NHS similarly advises getting professional advice before following general exercise videos if you have an injury, symptoms or health concerns.
I’ve also written separately about exercising with bad knees because there are plenty of ways to keep moving without assuming every exercise will suit every knee.
But which burns the most calories?
This was the question the old version of this article concentrated on, and these days I think it was asking the wrong question.
Calories burned during yoga, Pilates or barre can vary enormously according to the style, intensity, duration and the individual doing it.
A demanding hour-long class obviously isn’t comparable with twenty minutes of very gentle stretching simply because both happen to be called yoga.
I wouldn’t choose between the three based on an online calorie estimate.
Wearable fitness trackers aren’t perfectly accurate either, and chasing the exercise that supposedly burns the most calories can very quickly turn movement into something you’re doing purely to compensate for eating.
I’ve been there with weight loss, and it isn’t how I want to approach exercise anymore.
If calorie expenditure is your main priority, more vigorous aerobic activities will generally contribute more towards it than gentle yoga or Pilates. That doesn’t make these forms of exercise pointless. Strength, flexibility, balance, mobility and simply enjoying being active all matter too.
Will yoga, Pilates or barre help you lose weight?
Any physical activity can contribute towards your overall energy expenditure, but I wouldn’t choose one of these because somebody has promised it will make you lose weight quickly.
The old version of this article suggested barre for faster weight loss, Pilates for slower weight loss and yoga for losing weight slowly and safely.
I don’t think that’s a useful or evidence-based way of looking at them.
When I lost more than 10 stone, what I ate played an enormous role in my weight loss. Exercise was valuable, but I no longer see it simply as something I need to do to make the scales go down.
If weight loss is one of your goals, yoga, Pilates or barre can absolutely be part of an active lifestyle. The bigger question is whether you enjoy your chosen activity enough to keep doing it alongside whatever other changes you’re making.
A supposedly perfect workout isn’t particularly effective if you hate it so much that you stop after three weeks.
Do you need to join a class?
Not necessarily.
There are plenty of online workouts, and one of the advantages of yoga and mat Pilates is that you need very little equipment to get started. The NHS has free yoga and Pilates exercise videos, including beginner and chair-based options.
Exercising at home can also remove some of the confidence worries that come with walking into a class for the first time.
On the other hand, an in-person beginner class gives you an instructor who can explain movements, help with positioning and suggest adaptations. That might be particularly valuable when you’re completely new.
Barre can be slightly trickier to recreate at home because classes traditionally use a barre, but home workouts often adapt the exercises using a sturdy chair or other suitable support.
Whichever route you choose, I wouldn’t spend a fortune on equipment before you’ve established that you actually like it. A comfortable outfit and exercise mat are enough to try many beginner yoga and Pilates sessions.
So, should you choose yoga, Pilates or barre?
If you came here hoping I’d declare one the winner, I’m going to disappoint you.
Choose yoga if you particularly like the combination of movement, flexibility, breathing and a more mindful approach.
Choose Pilates if controlled movements, core strength, stability and posture appeal to you.
Try barre if you fancy ballet-inspired movements, lots of controlled repetitions and something that often feels a little more like a fitness class.
Or ignore those neat categories completely and try all three.
I’ve spent enough years approaching exercise as something I should do to realise that enjoyment matters much more than I once gave it credit for. The exercise I’ve actually continued with has rarely been the thing somebody told me was theoretically best for weight loss. It’s been whatever fitted my body, confidence, fitness and life at that particular time.
If that’s twenty minutes of beginner Pilates in your living room, brilliant. If you discover that you love barre despite never having done a ballet class in your life, do that. If yoga gives you an hour when your brain finally quietens down as well as getting your body moving, that’s valuable too.
You don’t have to choose the exercise that burns the most calories.
Finding one that makes you want to come back next week is a much better place to start.
