Pilates vs Yoga for riders

Hey all, I am a longtime rider but I took some years off recently for many reasons. I've decided it's time to get back on the horse, so to speak, but I know I don't have the same leg and core strength I used to! I used to do yoga, dance, and swimming to condition for riding; these days I powerwalk with my dog a few miles a day and that's about it. I really want to build back up the necessary riding muscles, but I've read in a few places that pilates is better than yoga, and vice versa. Does anyone have any personal input into this? I would just do both, but I am in the process of planning a wedding and finishing my degree so I have to be super frugal with my time and get the most bang for my buck!

I've been doing yoga and so far so good.It is helping.The book yoga for equestrians is really good.You don't have to spend that much time Maybe 20 mins in the morning and 20 mins of pilates in the evening would be goo..[/QUOTE]

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That's so awesome, I had no idea there was a book about that. I'm going to have to find it

I've been doing yoga for longer than I've been riding. I only got back into riding almost a year ago. I find yoga is amazing for strengthening your whole body, and you can find poses that target specific areas. For example, I have lower back issues when I ride, so doing certain poses that strengthen and stretch the lower back are really helpful for me. Pilates is also awesome for strengthening and stretching, but I find yoga to be a lot more helpful. It also helps you train your mind to be more calm, relaxed, and alert, I find.