Pilates and cardio couldn’t be further apart in terms of exercise styles, but does one trump the other in terms of the benefit you get?
Pilates is physical movement designed to stretch, strengthen, and balance the body with a focus on breathing. Cardio is any exercise which accelerates your heart rate, such as cycling, running, rowing, using an elliptical or an aerobics class.
In an ideal situation, a combination of both Pilates and cardio would be best as it would give your body the best of both – strength, flexibility and cardiovascular fitness. So, to determine which is better suited for you, you must first decide what your goal is – to lose weight? To get stronger? To get fitter? To train for a specific event? To recover from an injury?