Sports Conditioning

It's no coincidence that golfers, tennis players, basketball players and baseball players benefit from Pilates. All these sports require rotation of the torso which can cause strain in the lower back. A multitude of the Pilates exercises build strength while in a rotated position. Many athletes have found that Pilates helps to balance out the imbalances caused by the repetition of hitting a golf club, delivering an ace serve or pitching and hitting.

Athletes of all kinds find that Pilates training improves their strength, speed and quality of movement, creating a power that comes from a strong, balanced, and flexible core region of the body. They learn to move the body as one well-coordinated unit and have complete conscious control over their movements giving them quite the competitive edge.

Pilates is being used by more athletes as a means to "cross train." In fact, many professional and recreational athletes have started practicing Pilates regularly to help develop their core strength, control of movement and flexibility. Pilates helps to teach the body more efficient and balanced movement. These skills help keep the athlete injury-free and help improve performance. Working with a Pilates trainer on the machines helps to achieve this better than most other exercise programs.

Athletes who have stronger core strength are thought to have better dynamic control of their movements, and are less likely to experience injuries. This is what is known as "neuromuscular control," which has been used to prevent injuries including ACL tears and ankle sprains. The training of stronger neuromuscular control allows you to move through a proper range of motion, protecting your muscles and joints from overstress, which is notably consequential for athletes.