Maybe you recognize this: you put a lot of energy into a sport like soccer, running, swimming, or fitness. Yet, you notice that you quickly get injured or experience discomfort in your body during your training. You wonder what you can do to achieve more with your sport goals. In this blog, I’m happy to explain why Pilates is beneficial for specific sport goals.
Pilates is for everyone
Pilates is really on the rise. More and more influencers and celebrities are doing Pilates and showing how beneficial it is for your body and mind. The idea that it’s only for women is being increasingly debunked. Many men practice Pilates to improve their sports performance, particularly in sports like soccer and hockey, which often involve painful joints. Pilates is a great way to reduce these risks. You can combine Pilates well with other sports.
Low-intensity sport
Pilates is often compared to yoga because it’s a gentler way of exercising. The exercises you do are very controlled and require a lot of focus and conscious attention. This may seem very easy at first glance, but nothing could be further from the truth. While practicing Pilates, you really work up a sweat. Through controlled exercises, Pilates ensures that you consciously use and train your muscles. This stimulates your flexibility, posture, coordination, balance, strength, and breathing.
Pilates for specific sport goals in fitness
A great combination with Pilates is fitness. In fitness, progress is mainly about building strong muscles. You lift a lot of heavy weights, and the risk of muscle and joint injuries is high. To prevent this, flexibility in your muscles and joints is very important. Pilates is the perfect sport for this. Through Pilates exercises, you stimulate better flexibility in your muscles and joints. Additionally, Pilates is very focused on your core muscles. A stronger core reduces back pain, allowing you to achieve your specific sport goals even more when squatting and deadlifting.
Pilates and cardio training
In cardio training, you mainly train your endurance. Good examples of cardio are swimming, running, and cycling. Research has shown that a cardio sport combined with Pilates is a perfect match. It’s a great way to balance mental and physical health. Pilates focuses on strength but also on the connection between mind and body.
Joseph Pilates, the founder of Pilates during World War I, called his method “contrology.” The exercises ensure that you control your muscles with mental abilities, intertwining the mind and body. With your cardio workout, you have a perfect balance between all aspects that keep you mentally and physically healthy. Pilates also ensures, just like with your fitness goals, that you get fewer injuries while practicing your cardio training.
Integrating Pilates into your lifestyle
Pilates is perfect to combine with any specific sport goals you have. This is mainly because Pilates exercises prevent injuries, but also because it smooths and strengthens your spine and entire body. Additionally, it ensures a better posture, allowing you to perform your sport exercises better. I recommend everyone with specific sport goals to integrate Pilates into their lifestyle, as it shows positive mental and physical improvements in all areas. It is the right support that ensures you are completely balanced.
Are you currently looking for extra support in achieving your specific sport goals but don’t know how Pilates can help you? I’m happy to help you figure out what you need to optimize your sports performance even more in combination with Pilates. Feel free to contact me to discover this together.