Making big strides in Pilates to benefit runners

BASI (Body Arts and Science International) Pilates emphasizes ideal posture, core strength and muscle balance, all things that can help a runner’s efficiency. There are a number of benefits to doing Pilates to make you a better runner. Consider the following:

Core strength and stability

Core strength is not synonymous with abdominal strength. Core strength describes the musculature of the trunk, especially those fundamental in stabilising it. When the body has good core strength we cannot deny that movement is more efficient and the body is better protected from injury. Your core encompasses your entire torso, including your hips, abdominals, back extensors, shoulders and neck. Strength in the transverse abdominals, obliques and pelvic floor is especially essential in runners. The rotational element of the upper body means that the runner needs to be both flexible and strong in their abdominals but also in stabilising while the legs move independently. The pelvic floor is weakened from running, high impact and repetitive movement. This is a big focus within each movement in Pilates. When all of the muscles in the core are strong and balanced, our core acts as a good stabiliser to transfer forces when running. The body is able to take the impact of hitting the ground each time you land on your foot and stabilise through that leg, to swing/propel the opposite leg forward. Pilates enables you to better produce force with better control and maximise this force you produce while you are running.

Functional movement patterns

Every athlete’s first priority should be to achieve core stability through balanced musculature. In other words, stability first and mobility/movement second. Core stability protects the spine and surrounding musculature from injury during dynamic movement. Since Pilates encourages functional everyday movement patterns and teaches ideal posture, you are less likely to re-injure the body or pick up an injury due to compensatory patterns. Additionally, Pilates aids in identifying your weaknesses that inhibit your gait. You learn muscular cues to help you fire and strengthen muscles that help you maintain a better running and living posture.

Improves endurance and speed

Most runners understand that a strong, balanced body helps you maintain good form as you begin to fatigue running. Pilates makes the body use energy more efficiently. If your body is a bit stiff or a bit flexed, and the head is in a forward position, this will make your body work really hard to resist gravity. Having to work hard to maintain good posture over a long period of time will use up essential energy that you need to be putting into your legs to run. Pilates helps you lengthen and stretch all areas of the body. This plays a role in achieving a fluid, long stride while running. Areas of focus would include quadriceps, calves, glutes, hamstrings, and hip flexors. Running uphill is a concentric movement that requires a stable musculature, while downhill running is an eccentric movement that requires a stronger and more balanced sciatic area and quadriceps strength. Pilates gives runners a more mobile neck, shoulders, hips and lower back while giving a full range of rotation through the torso. The psoas (abdominal muscles that connect the spinal column to the femurs and assist in flexing and rotating the leg and flexing the trunk on the pelvis) play an important role in optimal condition by keeping them flexible as well as powerful. Strengthening the global running muscles and stabilisers will allow a runner to go faster and further.

Faster and thorough recovery

Pilates plays a lovely role in active recovery as well as strengthening and lengthening areas for running recovery. All the force from the impact of the ground is absorbed by the impact of the joints and through the tissues. This makes running a very high impact sport and recovery takes longer than the average sport. Pilates will decrease your recovery time after injury or a strenuous workout by increasing joint mobility, improving flexibility and body awareness. With a regular Pilates routine, muscles are in better condition, so you feel less fatigued, sore, and tight after a run.

Breathing

Breathing patterns are essential to performing Pilates movements correctly and mindfully, and such practice easily translates into running. If you can get good breathing, you will be getting plenty of oxygen, transferring through your lungs and into your blood flow. This is essential for the energy systems of the body. There is a rhythm created through breathing in both Pilates and running. Pilates teaches you to fill the lower lobes of your lungs fully, to engage your diaphragm and lung capacity more consciously and to breathe with increased awareness to assist your movement patterns. This awareness and mind-body connection results in a decrease in muscular fatigue, and a more efficient moving body.

Show up

Consistency is key for running training. This applies to your Pilates strength training too. Once you’ve got your Pilates training in place you will notice differences in the body functionally and in running. Your body, tissues, nervous system etc take time to respond. Change in a training program and in a Pilates class will allow for a natural progression.

Our biomechanics and stabilising muscles are critical. Strength, flexibility, balance, proprioception, ankle/hip/knee stability, core strength, good alignment and posture and an efficient gait cycle are important to run further and faster, efficiently and injury-free.

Training the body to be more resilient when running will take some of the pressure off the joints, tendons, and muscles even with the heavy load of continuous movement.