No matter the sport, more and more studies are proving the benefits of pilates for high-performance athletes. Including the Pilates Method in a sportsman’s training routine has become an efficient way to improve results and achieve a better quality of life.
But do you know the benefits of pilates practice for high-performance athletes? Learn a little more and explore this audience. You may even seek partnerships with clubs, for example.
Pilates for Athletes
Karol Marenco works in her studio in Panama. Photos: Karol Marenco
The Pilates Method can be included in the training program for athletes of any type. For Costa Rican Pilates Instructor Karol Marenco, “Every high-performance athlete should include in their training routine a complementary tool to help improve their mobility.” According to her, the combination of pilates with the training routine increases flexibility and, more importantly, generates a greater knowledge of the athlete’s movement abilities.
The gains also extend to the moment after competitions, when the athlete gets the most out of his potential. According to Marenco, who is also a dancer and choreographer, pilates for athletes “allows the process of muscle and joint recovery to be achieved with much greater efficiency”, which contributes to a healthier body.
Body Awareness
Improvement in performance comes “as an athlete recognizes his own movement possibilities and works to improve his limitations by reaching a body with a much wider range of motion,” explains Marenco. In other words, learning to have more control over your own body and awareness of your physical limitations makes it easier to explore strengths and mitigate possible imbalances and limitations.
Recovery
The contrology was developed by Joseph Pilates in the early 20th Century and was greatly improved during World War I, when Pilates was arrested in England and used the materials at his disposal, such as springs, ropes and bars, to develop his equipment. and assist in the rehabilitation of other bedridden prisoners.
Pilates for high-performance athletes accelerates the injury recovery process because “while injured tissues are regenerating, Pilates allows the muscles and ligaments around the injury to continue to strengthen”. The exercises stimulate oxygenation and blood circulation that favors recovery while strengthening and supporting damaged structures.
Versatility
As Karol points out, each sport has its particular characteristics and requires certain physical characteristics of its practitioners. Therefore, the pilates instructor must understand the individualities of each body, as well as the specifics of each sport, to offer more assertive training.
“A CrossFit practitioner will have very strong and developed muscles, but will need to improve their joint flexibility. A dancer usually has great posture along with wonderful flexibility, however, will need to improve muscle strength. A left handed soccer player or tennis player who uses the racket in one hand will need exercises that help balance these imbalances’, she explains.
Conclusion
Pilates has many benefits for high performance athletes as it helps to develop greater body awareness, correct imbalances and strengthen the body as a whole. “Focusing on spine mobility and joint flexibility is key,” says Karol, who concludes, “The result will be a less worn and much more efficient body that recovers faster.”
Do you already offer athlete-oriented classes in your pilates studio? Share with us your experiences in the comments!