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Feb 24
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4 Ways Pilates will Improve Time for Runners
Spring is just around the corner and for runners this is an exciting time. 5k’s, 10k’s, half, and full marathon races will start picking back up. So naturally runners everywhere are gearing up to to improve their race times.
But what is the best way to cut your race time?
Many runners simply increase the number of miles they run per week in order to improve upon their running. But as a runner myself, I’ve realized that simply running more miles alone can lead to injury…if not balanced with other types of cross training to keep a healthy and balanced body.
Pilates offers a low impact cross training approach and is an excellent form of movement to add to any runner’s training routine. Pilates will help runners in four critical areas:
1. Pilates Fixes Muscle Imbalances:
Performing the same movement over and over will lead to the over development of specific muscle groups. In running, the quadriceps become more developed than the hamstrings and the low back becomes stronger than the core. Pilates focuses on engaging the core at the start of all movements. This promotes strength and endurance in the abdominal muscles. All of the lower body movements are initiated from the hamstrings and gluteus muscles. This promotes muscle development and strength within the posterior muscle groups of the lower extremities.
2. Pilates Helps with Flexibility and Posture:
Tight quadriceps, tight hip flexor and tight low back muscles are common in runners. Many experience “runner’s knee” due to the shortening of the quadriceps and stretching can help relieve this issue. Spinal flexibility is also key in maintaining good posture. Many Pilates exercises work the spine in extension and work on rolling of the spine to loosen in order to promote flexibility. Consistent practice of Pilates will improve runner’s posture and reduce the risk of injury by stretching overworked and tight muscle groups and by strengthening the core muscle groups.
3. Pilates Teaches Runners How to Breathe Properly:
Most of us have jobs that are relatively sedentary. Overtime that can lead to poor posture and shallow breathing. This will have a negative effect on running. You may not be able to go as long, as fast, or recover as quickly. Pilates teaches diaphragmatic breathing. Practicing deep breathing delivers more oxygen to the blood which in turn delivers more oxygen to the working muscle groups. This will help to increase the runner’s endurance, increase stamina, and will help with a more relaxing run.
4. Pilates Builds a Strong Core:
Building a strong core is not just about performing sit ups. The core is so much more than abdominal muscles alone. It consists of the muscles of the back as well as the glute muscles- aka the butt. Pilates focuses on strengthening these muscles by working then as a system versus training them as separate entities. Weak abdominal muscles and butt muscles can lead to faulty running patterns. Retraining the muscles of the core to work synergistically and by strengthening the core as a system will improve running time as well as recovery time.
Are you currently doing Pilates to help with your running? I would love to hear from you in the comments below. Have you seen an increase in speed and flexibility? One of my current clients shaved his 5k race time down from 26-27 minutes to 21-22 minutes by incorporating Pilates into his training.
If you are in the Lake Norman Area and looking for a Pilates studio, I am a certified Pilates instructor and personal trainer with 10 years of working in the fitness industry. I offer private and semi private Pilates classes. Contact me and we will build a program specifically for you and you will be off to the races in no time!
