Pilates Power: A Runner’s Secret Weapon

Pilates is a great way to tone, lengthen, strengthen, increase mobility and flexibility as well as achieve more balance between the left and right sides of the body.  There are thousands of benefits to consistent practice. One of those benefits is for runners to use Pilates as a means to minimize the likelihood of injury.  Pilates serves s a great modality to complement your running program. Twenty minutes on your mat at home can do the trick.  

Here are some movements to consider:  

1. The Hundred is the first exercise of the original 34 mat exercises from the repertoire of Joseph Pilates. Several modifications of this exercise can be considered based on your body’s unique needs. This exercise promotes abdominal strength, a stabilized torso, and control of the lumbar spine and pelvis. It is suggested you perform percussive breathing. Traditionally this can be done by inhaling for five breaths and exhaling for five breaths and simultaneously extending your arms long at your sides, while quickly pumping the arms up and down, however, one can play with the breath. For example, you could opt to inhale for 3 and exhale for 7. Additionally, based on your lower back you could opt to keep your feet hip distance apart, bring your legs into the tabletop (knees tracking over your hips and shins parallel to the ceiling), or for a deeper challenge to the abdominals, extend your legs long 45 degrees away from your body. This exercise strengthens the abdominals which promotes good posture and improves your breathing. 

2.  Glutes, glutes, and Glutes! Did we mention the glutes? The glutes are a muscle group that can become weak in runners. This can contribute to knee and ankle injuries. Focusing on the glutes is important because that muscle group supports the hip flexors and protects the lower back. Here a series of movements to consider include lying down on the left side to start with your knees bent so that there are 90 degrees between the top of the thighs and the torso. Clamshells can be your best friend or your enemy depending on your viewpoint. Keeping your heels together and toes apart, open and close the knees for 8 repetitions. In between sets, you can tap on that hip if you begin to feel the burn. The next move would be to lift the bent leg up into space and pulse the leg up and down with small pulses for 8 counts. Again, you can tap on that side hip if you need to when you feel the burn. The last move here, we refer to as Mary Poppins. Lift the lower limb up off the floor so that the feet are suspended in space. Keeping the heels together and the toes apart, open and close the knees for 8 counts. Rest when done by doing a figure four stretch for the glutes/hips you just worked and then repeat the movements on the other side.  

3. The knees are really important for runners. IT band syndrome can sometimes result in lateral knee pain or knee instability. As a result, maintaining hip muscle strength and hip stability is important. This can help to minimize the occurrence of IT band syndrome. A movement to consider is the One Leg Circle. This can be performed while lying supine or on your back and extending one leg up in the air with the toes reaching to the ceiling or if you have tight hamstrings, this can be modified by performing this with a bent knee or using a yoga strap or stretch band behind the knee or on the arch of the foot to support the movement.  Starting with the right leg, while keeping the torso and pelvis stable, use the inner thigh or adductors to move the leg to the left side of the body, use the hamstring to press the leg down towards the floor, and the abductors to move the leg away from the body. Focus on the mobility of the ball and socket joint of the hip as you progress through the movement. Perform this rotation 3 to 5 times in each direction and then do the other leg. 

These are just a few Pilates movements to consider for runners. Core strength supports your posture. Strengthening your glutes is a must to protect your lower back, your hips, and your knees. It’s a chain and it’s all connected. IT band syndrome can happen when you overtrain or wear incorrect shoes while training. Your body is your greatest asset and you can invest in it just a few minutes a day to keep it healthy. More to come on different movements to consider to minimize the likelihood of injuries.

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