Yoga or pilates:

JULIE DEARDORFF (KRT)

Both pilates and yoga can improve strength, flexibility and posture, as well as relieve stress. Both are considered mind-body practices. And both use the breath as a tool to delve into hard-toreach places.

But while yoga was originally a spiritual, meditative practice based on the Eastern concept of moving energy through the body, pilates has always been about physical conditioning and "functional fitness."

Correctly engaging and work- ing the core muscles of the body which reach from the lower rib cage to the pelvic floor is the foundation of pilates.

The main difference between the two is philosophical: Yoga generally adds "spirit" to the mind-body connection.

The best way to figure out which is right for you is to try both, sampling several different teachers.

A yoga class can be a rigorous, flowing cardiovascµlar workout, or it may involve static poses, chants or readings or meditations that encourage the students to be kind to all creatures and live a balanced life.

Pilates mat classes focus on biomechanics and teach students to move in ways that strengthen the body's core muscles, called the powerhouse, and the surrounding stabilizing muscles that are often ignored.

For the extremely flexible, pilates can be beneficial, because it teaches you to stabilize the joints, whereas yoga might push you deeper into the joints, said Chicago's Abby Factor, 31, who teaches both yoga and pilates.

"But if you're in a bad place mentally, you might find more comfort in yoga and focus on

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