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As a long distance runner, I know how hard running can be on the body. Not enough for me to stop running; I love it too much and I’m sure speaking to any other runner, they’d feel the same way!
Pilates is a great movement to support your body before during and after a run. Pilates focuses primarily on strengthening your core, thereby increasing your stability. More stability is essential for good running technique and to help avoid injury.
Pilates is an excellent choice of complimentary training for a runner as it is very low impact so will not place the body under further stress while strengthening the very important core stabilising muscles.
Pilates will help to:
- Improve Mobility - runners are particularly prone to tight hip flexors, ankle joints and hamstrings, with these muscles constantly shortening during running. Pilates will assist with muscle lengthening to improve joint mobility and flexibility.
- Improve Core Strength - not only promotes a more upright and better running posture, but supports the stabilising muscles around the hips that take a lot of the force as you run.
- Injury Prevention/Management - Pilates helps to identify and correct imbalances than can make you more susceptible to injury. These can also help you to run faster too! So thereby improving your running performance as well
- Improve Breathing control - Pilates connects breath with movement. Learning to control your breathing with pilates will translate to being able to Breathe Right during running.
- Promote Recovery - Pilates exercises are low impact and promote blood flow, helping to counteract tightening and muscles soreness after a long run.
So it's a no-brainer when you're a runner, to add some Pilates in to your training programme, to help you achieve the goals you're wanting to reach.
Did you know?
We have created a programme specifically designed for runners on our OnDemand App, which addresses some of the key areas that are specific to improving running performance, perfectly tailored for our runners bodies!
