Three Reasons Professional Athletes Turn to Pilates

It’s all over the news. Pro athletes have discovered what others have known for years—Pilates works. Pacific Northwest Pilates co-owner and Lead STOTT PILATES Instructor Trainer, Leslie Braverman, takes a closer look three reasons why Pilates makes it to the big leagues.

Lebron James (pro basketball), Hollie Avil (triathlete), Serena Williams (tennis champion) and Dara Torres (sprinter) have reported Pilates improved their athletic performance and reduced injuries.  At the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, Carissa Moore, a member of the first U.S. surfing team, used Pilates as she prepared—she won the gold medal!

 

The attention to alignment and core stability in Pilates teaches athletes to control the positioning of the joints and spine and use the correct muscles—with the right amount of effort—necessary for stability and mobility. Photo: Wikipedia

#1 – Core Strength and Joint Stability

Pilates wakes up muscles that are located close to joints. The deep abdominals, back, pelvic floor, psoas and diaphragm—“the core”— are a collection of muscles that support the spinal vertebrae and sacroiliac joints.  Like the structures of the spine, every joint (shoulder, hip and knee) has its own network of deep muscles that are designed to stabilize it against force and torque. In Pilates, athletes learn to use these deep muscles and re-establish the control on the inside before adding speed, torque and power from the outside. A strong outer body built on a weak inner core is akin to a house built on a cracked foundation. Both are unstable and likely to break down over time.

Photo: Wikipedia

#2 – Control & Strength Through Entire Range

Athletes do whatever it takes to win the game. Tennis, soccer, rugby and ice hockey require the ability to do quick, explosive movement in any direction. In an instant, the muscles on the back of the leg (hamstrings) may need to stretch to reach for a ball and then contract to regain balance to hit it. Passive stretching weakens muscle tissue. Active stretching (eccentric control) teaches the muscles to be long and strong in large ranges of motion.

For hours a cyclist’s spine remains curved over as he trains for a race. Pilates helps to unwind muscles and restore symmetry. A balanced body is the best defense against athletic injury. Photo: Wikipedia

#3 – A Balanced Body

Every sport or athletic endeavor creates asymmetries in strength and flexibility. Baseball pitchers wind-up to throw the ball hundreds of times for a game, competitive runners repeatedly use the same reciprocal motion, and elite swimmers train miles a day. Athletes may push hard for strong performance numbers without adequate recovery or balance in their training regimen—a practice that overtaxes some muscle groups, weakens others, and creates disproportionate strength and mobility around joints and tissue.

Though injuries can happen during a game or race due to accidents and unforeseen circumstances, many coaches and athletic training experts believe most athletic injuries can be traced back to fitness imbalances.

Pilates exercise helps a cyclist actively recover with exercises that balance the spine. Extending and rotating the spine promotes use of opposing muscle groups. Skilled Pilates instructors have the know-how to program sport specific classes for athletes like golfers, swimmers too.

Pilates Hits a Home Run

Pilates meets eight physical performance factors identified as important to athletes by coaches and athletic trainers—posture, balance, mobility, flexibility, stability, coordination, functional strength and endurance. Any athlete will benefit by including Pilates in a weekly training routine.

Get in the game. Call us today.

Pacific NW Pilates is studio, school and fitness family under one roof. Click to learn more about our education courses and workshops, private studio sessions and group classes. Or call for details: (503) 292-4409.

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