Tag Archives: running

Six Ways Pilates Will Improve Your Life

Pilates is the perfect low impact fitness workout for any bodySix Pilates Benefits For Everyday Health

This short list of my most popular Facebook posts explains why Pilates is the perfect low impact, all around fitness workout for young and old of both sexes and just about every interest.

Whether you’re a woman dealing with osteoporosis, a professional athlete focused on improving his or her game, a casual runner trying to get the most out of a 5K, or just interested is improving your brain power, there’s something here for anyone who wants to improve their quality of life.

  1. Exercise May Help Knees More Than Glucosamine And Chondroitin This NPR article questions dependence on supplements for joint health.
  2. 6 Ways Pilates Can Improve Your Running I love it when I can show how Pilates may be the best go to all around workout for improving your running routine.
  3. Pilates For The Professional Athlete Flexibility and stretching are just as important as strength and speed to one NFL player.
  4. Strong Women Make Stronger Women This YouTube video from the International Osteoporosis Foundation offers five ways to decrease the risk of contracting the disease.
  5. Sweat Your Way To A Healthier Brain Is exercise good for the brain? You bet! NPR article proves you can sweat your way to a smarter you.
  6. The Art of Pilates Control This gorgeous video by Munich’s Bluebird Pilates studio is an inspirational example of Pilates control.

How Pilates Can Improve Your Running Game

Pilates and running are the perfect match.

Pilates and running are the perfect match.  A solid core supplements and improves a number of areas critical for peak performance.

Runners Get Big Boost From Core Strength

The other day I came across a guest blog over on Brooks (shoes) Running that shows several exercises runners can perform after a run to improve their results. The writer says that, “A strong core helps create a runner’s longevity on the road and can help alleviate back pain.” Fair enough – but wait, there’s more!

Most runners don’t realize how important maintaining the correct posture is to peak performance and endurance. Joseph Pilates’ original concept of Contrology – the method of developing controlled movement from a strong core – is even more applicable today, as we pursue a variety of physical activities on a regular basis. And that’s especially true when it comes to running.

Pilates System Connects Body And Mind

His Pilates System stresses the connection between the mind and the body for maximum efficiency and benefit. Along the way, Pilates practitioners learn to focus on (among other functions) breath control while they build that strong, long and lean core by performing the interconnected movements Joe first described nearly a century ago.

Pilates balance chartRunners – and cubicle workers, and frequent flyers – all benefit from a well developed core, first and most noticeably from an improved posture which in turn leads to more efficient breath control, better coordination, extra stamina, and overall strength.

If you’re a runner, Pilates should be part of your workout. It starts with The 100. But it doesn’t stop there.

Runners: Why Conditioning Is Important

If You’re A Runner This Concerns You

A well rounded fitness program often involves jogging, running, and of course PIlates. The web site Anatomy In Motion offers a variety of ways to monitor what goes on when you’re exercising; here are two very helpful infographics that describe the potential problems faced by runners and how to avoid becoming a statistic.

common injuries suffered by runners

exercises that help prevent runners injuries

Pilates for runners

If you’re a runner, should you incorporate Pilates as part of your training? At YPL we think so, and have a number of clients who run 5Ks to longer events like half-marathons.

One of the more common questions I get asked is whether Pilates should be part of a runner’s training. You can Google Pilates+running and find a lot of answers. Here’s one of the better comments I’ve found on the subject, in the Health and Running blog.

One of the things I’ve heard that Pilates does best whenever the discussion is about running goes back to core strength and how that allows for better posture during the run. Other movements, like the kneeling front split, are of great benefit as a hip opener and hamstring stretch.

The New York Times published an amazing article this week that ran in the local St. Petersburg Times about a marathoner who was diagnosed with a cancerous hamstring and just months after having it removed was again winning races! Talk about adversity!