Joseph Pilates developed what was called the “art of movement control”. Through his study and work, he aims to achieve an alignment and balance of muscular forces, both internal and external, through fundamental principles such as breathing, fluidity, concentration, centre, precision and control.
Much better known is the success of the method in the rehabilitation of injuries or ailments such as lower back pain, but it is in recent years that Pilates has gained more attention in sport, due to its integrity in improving flexibility, strength, lumbo-pelvic stability, balance, proprioception and mental control.
“The balance between body and mind is the basis for perfect physical and mental fitness” (Pilates, 1934).
Any athlete can benefit from the Pilates method, not only in injury recovery but also in preparation for their sport. In all sports there are movement patterns that are performed over and over again and this continuous repetition increases the differences between the muscles. Those that are used less often become weaker and those that predominate become shorter. The Pilates method of exercise, seeking balance in the muscle chains and the challenge of the stabilising musculature by performing leg or arm movements at the same time, significantly increases the level of injury prevention.
Often, the athlete masters the technique of his sport, and has sufficient physical preparation to reach his maximum levels, but in all cases, this preparation could be complemented by reaching a deeper and more functional muscular and joint work, giving security and meaning to the movement itself within the corresponding sporting gesture.
It is the work of the “Powerhouse” or “centre”, one of the fundamental principles of the Pilates method, which will give us this very important complement to improve movement at a functional level. Along with this, the work of the centre offers a series of benefits that have a very effective influence on the physical preparation of the athlete:
Elite athletes, such as many footballers, start their careers at a very young age, suffering from injuries and muscular decompensation as their bodies are not prepared or developed enough to withstand high intensity training. Pilates helps them to achieve more intensity in their explosive movements or sprints.
In certain sports such as basketball, golf or tennis, we work asymmetrically and the imbalances between powerful and weak muscles become much more acute. With Pilates we can balance these functional imbalances in a very effective way, avoiding chronic injuries with more complicated solutions.
In other sports such as running or cycling, it has been shown that Pilates improves, above all, flexibility, thus achieving greater speed in a posterior musculature which, with the gesture of running or cycling, tends to be shortened.
In short, because of these benefits, many athletes use the combination of their sport with Pilates as part of their physical preparation, finding improvements in specific aspects depending on the objective they want to improve, whether it is flexibility, muscle power, agility or balance. In addition, it also improves blood circulation as it is a low-intensity aerobic activity and increases endurance through breathing control.
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