Pilates: Great for Athletes

With the hectic and time consuming training schedule of athletes, it is often hard to find time to recover from a workout. Add to this the fact that often athletes are repeatedly using the same muscle groups, they are leaving themselves open to injuries. These days, many athletes (especially teenagers) are turning to Pilates as a great way to switch up their work out and help with injury prevention.

The following 6 basic principles of Pilates can be used by athletes to stay focus and improve performance:

• Concentration
• Centering
• Control
• Precision
• Breathing
• Flowing movement

The benefits of Pilates don’t end there. Because of the extensive core work, an athlete’s body alignment and awareness is improved. Pilates also focuses on conditioning the body and mind which can help improve sleep quality. Finally because Pilates incorporates numerous muscles of the body, athletes often work muscles they wouldn’t in their normal routine, which can lessen injury risk.

Reference from the SIRC collection:
Pilates: Tools for Teen athletes. Trap, Zoey., IDEA Fitness Journal Nov/Dec2010, Vol. 7 Issue 10, 80.