I assume that by now everyone has heard of Pilates and even tried some version of it – especially the mat work. The core work, the flexibility and the larger range of motion make it a natural supplement to many other forms of fitness and sports.
Apparently not. Today at Crossfit, we were warming up with some simple hamstring stretches – the kind of thing that we do regularly in Pilates. (The single straight leg pull/stretch, for example, combines hamstring stretching along with abdominal strengthening). One of the Crossfit clients remarked “If I had only know about this (these stretches) 10 years ago. . .”
My thought bubble – which fortunately never made it out of my mouth – was, “If you had been doing Pilates for the last 5 years, these stretches wouldn’t seem so painful or surprisingly new!” Pilates, especially among men, has had the reputation of not being hard enough. Too much breathing, too much slow movement and too much stretching. That may be partially true. But in too many cases, it is not strength that is holding a client back but flexibility and functional flexibility at that (the ability to actually go to that larger range of motion with support and control).
Pilates would be such a great help to so many athletes. The awareness, the core and the stretching are critical to ongoing athletic endeavors for aging athletes. I wish I could help athletes outside our studio see that. At Mind and Body Pilates, we may say ‘because strong doesn’t just happen’ but that strength is tested and challenged in ranges outside of normal activity so that you have control of your body in all you do.
Pilates will help you play your sport better, do Crossfit faster, help you eliminate or minimize your injuries. But you have to get yourself to a class. Then we’ll show you how we can ‘Kick your abs’
