My sil and i have been doing WW together but our exercise programs and times vary so we go it alone on those .. but she told me she bought a pilate video that she just doesn't feel capable of doing .. she said she did it one time and hurt in places unknown and unfamiliar to her She is now doing a yoga video that she enjoys... my question is this .. since i have never done either yoga or pilates .. is one preferable to another? as far as flexibility vs. muslce toning which one is a better choice? or does one incorporate both? I won't be giving up my exercise plan as far as the treadmill and weight lifting but the video she is speaking of is like 15 minutes and something I could do in the morning before getting ready for work and such ... any suggestions? tips? hints? warnings?

I don't do videos of either, but I used to do Windsor pilates which I thought was great. I prefer yoga, personally, and take a yoga class once or twice a week. I think the key difference between the two is that in yoga you hold the poses and pilates you don't. I find them very similar, so I think you should try both and see which you prefer. I"ve heard that pilates is better for strenght training. Even though I"ve done both I'm not too sure which is "better"

I have tried both yoga and pilates and have only stuck with pilates. I agree with PP that you have to try them both and go from there. I really enjoy the Winsor Pilates method. It works and I notice results quickly!

i just did a crunch fitness burn and firm pilaties, that i brush the dust off of the dvd case once in a while and it is really hard , i dont reccomend it. Its an awsome workout yes , but now I am left lightheaded and 30 minutes of the video is squats and jumps. Its crazy hard.

Yoga focuses on flexiblity and breathing

Pilaties - Focuses on strenght and some workouts to gain strenghth.

Yoga - more tranqiual
Pilaties - more training.

I have a pilates question...
I am pretty large and I tried just the training DVD on how to do the windsor pilates and found that I could not actually move my body in the positions that they wanted me to, even the modified ones...

I'd like to do the pilates but feel I am just too fat to actually do the moves. I felt the same when I tried Yoga.
Any opinions on how fit/small you actually have to be to actually start doing these exercises?

He designed the method to help WWI solders get out of bed and back on their feet after being wounded. In other words, it is a type of physical therapy and not ment to be mastered quickly. (I have been doing it for 8 years and still need to be corrected, but it is wonderful and should not be painful)

Any little move, no matter how slight counts! If you are doing the 100 with your feet on the floor, head on the floor but are pumping your arms and pulling your tummy in, That is a good start!!!

You can start with the breathing techniques and just lying on the floor visualizing your belly button sinking in and having your back on the ground.

Baby steps are okay!

Keep trying each week untill you can get your head up, or legs to move.

It may take a while but it's such a benificial form of exercies, it's worth the work.

Lizziness, you are doing great!!!

Thanks! I'm not going to give up yet.. but I think i'll be better at this once my giant gut is outta the way *LOL*

I just bought Weight Loss Pilates. It has 3 levels. Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced.

They are all in the same video, but you just follow whatever level you are. I'm between level 1 and 2

I love this vid!

I think yoga and pilaties complement each other nicely. Pilaties is more about core strength and to get all the benefits, in my experiance, it is good to have some one teach you and use a reformer machine. I also think it is hard to start with when you don't have any core strength.

Yoga is different in that there are many different kinds. Whatever you want to focus on you can in yoga, you just have to find the right tape because there are like a million.

A good one for someone very large is Suzanne Deason Yoga Conditioning for Weight Loss

For Flexibity I like Ana and Ravi: Ultimate Stretch which is Kundalini Yoga and has a lot more movements than regular Hatha yoga. I feel wonderful whenever I finish this tape.

For Strength you can't go wrong with either Bryan Kest 's Power Yoga or Strength & Spirit by Ana Forrest.