You do them on the floor, they are often seen together in the holistic 'mind-body' section of the exercise world, and both promise to be a mental and physical panacea. But despite these ostensible similarities, yoga and Pilates were born of very different parents and grew up with crucial distinctions.

Before comparing the two, it's important to realise that various schools of Pilates and yoga have developed over the years. Yoga, being the elder of the two (it started in India over 5,000 years ago), now offers several types of classes, including Iyengar, Ashtanga, Integral and Kripalu. Pilates, meanwhile, has a shorter vintage than yoga, and thus fewer derivations. It relates to a series of some 500 exercises developed over 60 years ago by the German athlete Joseph Pilates. A sickly child, he devoted his adult life to bodybuilding and fitness exercises, culminating in the development of the 'Pilates Technique'. Later, it was modified for dancers, and it is this version that is commonly practised today.

Although you will find a bewildering array of Pilates and yoga classes to choose from, any type of yoga class will always look, feel and sound very different from any type of Pilates class.

A Pilates session typically lasts between one and one and a half hours and concentrates on a number of very precise, localised exercises. While some classes are designed for group practice on a mat, others are tailored for one-on-one instruction using special machines involving pulleys, springs and weights. Mat work will be done in bare feet and each tiny move may be repeated in succession several times - an unlikely practice in yoga. First and foremost, Pilates is concerned with the alignment of the spine. As a result, the exercises are very precise and are designed to work with the hips, knees and shoulders also aligned. More complex than other practices, Pilates teaches you about breathing with movement, body mechanics, coordination, strength and flexibility.

'Pilates is far more regimented than yoga, and it's similar to Callinetics in its use of small and focused movements,' says Diane Holland, who has taught Pilates for 15 years and yoga for seven. She currently instructs at the Triyoga studio in London. She explains that while Pilates works the whole body, its aim is to develop our 'core' muscles, which involves working your pelvic floor and abdominal muscles in order to strengthen the lower back and improve posture. 'Yoga, alternatively, works the entire body equally - legs, arms, stomach, back and core,' she says. Holland adds, 'While Pilates focuses on the connection between mind and body, yoga focuses on the connection between the mind, body and spirit.'

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