Pilates has risen in popularity on a mainstream scale in the last few years, becoming renowned for its ability to promote strength and flexibility simultaneously. When you regularly go to pilates, it can help with posture and body awareness too, helping to strengthen the mind and body overall.
As a result, pilates is now being integrated into the training of so many different athletes, from rugby players to gymnasts, basketball players to footballers, to create a more well rounded physique. Athletes have to be strong and flexible in order to perform at their best and prevent injury, so we’re here to discuss a bit more about pilates for athletes to help encourage you to implement it in your fitness routine.
The Benefits Of Pilates For Athletes
Enhancing Performance
Firstly, it’s undeniable that pilates can help to enhance physical performance. Regularly practicing pilates helps to increase the core strength significantly with functional movements, including those focused on the supper body, hips and legs, to build deeper into the muscles that provide us with stability than other methods of exercise can.
Prevent Injury
Another benefit of pilates for athletes is that it helps to prevent injury. The strengthening of the deep core helps to improve alignment, with the flexibility elements helping to loosen muscles and joints. If you have any existing injuries then make sure to tell an instructor to ensure you don’t aggravate it further, however pilates can be used as a great preventative measure to give your body the best chance of avoiding injury.
Improved Agility
Improved strength and flexibility then also helps to decrease pain and tightness, whilst also improving balance at the same time. This flexibility then helps athletes to react more quickly physically, to improve their game and become more agile. Pilates can also help to improve sleep and boost mood, which inevitably filter into physical performance.
Better Focus
Another benefit of pilates is the mind-body connection you’re able to develop, helping you to utilise focus and a unique connection with the body to improve physical performance. The improved cognitive function and focus that comes with pilates inevitably becomes a part of whatever sport you play, as well as encouraging better stress management to become more level headed and reasonable when you play. Whilst the physical benefits of pilates are usually the focus, the mental benefits should never be overlooked, as it can help you to live a mindful life.
How To Get The Most Out Of Your Pilates Practice
Try Different Styles and Instructors
The first thing you can do to get the most out of your pilates practice is to try different styles and instructors. Every instructor is different, and so is the way they run their class, so you might not perfect it the first time around when looking for the right studio. Try different studios out until you find one you click with, and be patient with yourself during the first few classes, especially if you’re brand new to pilates.
There are also different types of pilates, such as classic pilates, reformer pilates, yogalates and contemporary pilates to name a few. So, if you try one a few times and it’s not quite right for you, keep persisting to look for another studio and you’d be surprised at how different they are! Some people prefer much more meditative led classes, whereas others prefer more physicality,
Practice At Least Twice A Week
Something else you can do to get the most out of your practice is to do pilates at least twice a week. This is a good number as you’ll be able to see progress, you could fit it around your other activities and it gives your body time to rest. Most classes are between 45 minutes and 1 hour, whereas if you decide to do it from home (either temporarily to build confidence or permanently to save money), you can find 5 minute videos or much longer ones to fit around your schedule.
Push To The Edge, Not Into Pain
Something else to remember is that whilst in pilates to get the most out of it you will push yourself, it should never be into pain. Pilates isn’t about whether you can hold a pose longer or deeper than the person next to you, but it’s about focusing on your own practice. So, when something starts to feel painful, rather than like you’re pushing yourself, you should withdraw. You’ll get there eventually, but you don’t want to counteract all of the benefits of pilates by pushing yourself too far and getting injured!
Focus On Your Breathing
Another thing you should be doing to make the most of your pilates practice is to focus on your breathing. If you’re in a class or watching a guided video, they will naturally tell you when you should be inhaling and exhaling. Not only does it improve the pose, but it also helps you to reach more peace mentally as you breathe in and out with the movements. Getting yourself comfy loungewear can really help with this rather than super tight gymwear.
Final Thoughts
Pilates has endless benefits, both mentally and physically, so if you’re an athlete wanting to diversify your fitness portfolio, then pilates is the way to do it. Once you start pilates, we’re sure you’re not ever going to be looking back.
