Power Yoga vs Power Pilates
Two workouts, one goal: a stronger, more balanced body. Power Yoga and Power Pilates are both dynamic training styles that challenge your strength, flexibility, and focus, but in very different ways. Whether you prefer the flow of yoga or the focus of pilates, both help you build lasting strength and a deeper connection to your body.
What is Power Yoga?
Power Yoga takes traditional yoga and turns up the intensity.
It’s fast-paced, heat-building, and rooted in the connection between breath and movement. You flow through powerful sequences of exercises that build endurance, balance, and flexibility. It’s a workout that strengthens your entire body.
Think of it as yoga with a modern twist. It’s meditative and you focus a lot on your breath, but it’s also sweaty, strong, and energizing. Expect to move continuously, hold challenging poses, and feel your muscles engage from start to finish.
Of course, you can find amazing styles of women’s Pilates and Yoga clothes here at Björn Borg. Find everything from supportive sports bras to stylish tops and yoga tights. For men a comfortable and flowy t-shirt or tank top, together with matching shorts is a great fit for the sessions.
Power Yoga Exercises
Warrior II
Strengthens the legs and opens the hips while improving balance.
Reverse Warrior
Strengthens the legs and opens the hips while improving balance.
Eagle Pose
Enhances coordination and focus while strengthening legs and shoulders.
Camel Pose
Opens the chest and improves spinal flexibility.
Chair Pose
Engages the thighs, glutes, and core for lower-body power.
Power Yoga Flow - Chaturanga to Upward Dog to Downward Dog
This Power Yoga flow builds upper-body strength and flow between movements.
Move at a pace that feels comfortable for you and don't forget to focus on your breathing while you move through the poses.
What is Power Pilates?
Power Pilates is where precision meets strength. Based on Joseph Pilates’ original method, this modern version adds intensity and pace.
Every movement is controlled and deliberate. Power Pilates is designed to engage your core, stabilize your spine, and sculpt long, lean muscles.
Unlike yoga, Power Pilates doesn’t flow from pose to pose. Instead, it isolates muscle groups for deeper engagement and often includes equipment like resistance bands, rings, or reformers. The result is a powerful, body-shaping workout that builds strength from the inside out.
Power Pilates Exercises
Hundred
A classic Pilates move for endurance and deep core activation.
Criss-Cross
Targets the obliques and enhances rotation strength and posture control.
Leg Circles
Strengthens the core and hips while improving control and flexibility.
Bridge with leg lift
Engages the glutes, hamstrings, and lower back.
What muscles are worked during these Yoga and Pilates sessions?
Both Power Yoga and Power Pilates are full-body workouts — but they target your muscles in slightly different ways.
In Power Yoga, you’ll strengthen:
Upper body: shoulders, arms, and chest through planks, chaturangas, and downward dogs
Core: deep abdominals and obliques from balance poses and twists
Lower body: quads, glutes, and hamstrings through lunges and warrior poses
In Power Pilates, the emphasis is on:
Core control: abdominals, obliques, lower back, and pelvic floor
Glutes and hamstrings: for alignment and strength
Arms and shoulders: especially when using resistance bands or rings
Why are Power Yoga and Power Pilates workouts so good?
Power Yoga and Power Pilates both help improve posture, increase endurance, and enhance stability.
The breathing techniques in both reduce stress and boost energy. Because they’re low-impact, they’re ideal for anyone who wants to challenge their body while protecting their joints.
Another bonus is that you can do both of these workouts at the gym as well as at home, so the flexibility is great.
Both workouts challenge both body and mind. They focus on breath control, core engagement, and mindful movement to improve strength, posture, and balance. They’re highly effective and leaving you feeling centered, strong, and recharged.
If you’re interested in yoga, don’t miss our articles on yoga for beginners and Yin Yoga. When it comes to Pilates, check out 6 Pilates exercises for home workouts, and Wall Pilates.
Differences between Power Yoga and Power Pilates
Power Yoga and Power Pilates may look similar at first glance. They’re both strong, mindful, and designed to sculpt and empower your body, but they come from very different worlds. Power Yoga is rooted in ancient yoga philosophy and built around flow. Every movement connects to the next, creating a rhythm of strength, flexibility, and focus. You move with your breath, using your body as your only equipment, and build heat from the inside out. It’s dynamic, powerful, and deeply grounding.
Power Pilates, on the other hand, was born from Joseph Pilates’ modern conditioning method. Power Pilates is all about control, precision, and stability, especially through the core. The movements are structured and targeted, sometimes supported by resistance bands, mats, or reformers. Each repetition challenges your balance and alignment, and every breath is timed to engage your deepest muscles.
Where Power Yoga encourages mindfulness through movement, Power Pilates sharpens your focus through precision. One flows like a moving meditation, while the other feels like a masterclass in body awareness. Both push your limits, just in different ways.