I spend at least 50% of my day treating injuries caused by running! Most of these injuries could have been avoided if my clients had adequate control of their pelvis and lower limbs so they could run with good technique.
I know some patients find Physio exercises to be super boring and hard to keep up with once your pain settles down, which is why I suggest my patients join Pilates… or more specifically ‘Pilates for Runners!’
Pilates for Runners classes involves functional strengthening of the butt, abs and thighs in running specific positions. This means we do plenty of single leg work to practice stabilising the pelvis for running.
I find my patients really enjoy the classes and even once they are pain-free and have improved their running form they stay on for maintenance as they find it reduces their incidence of injuries.
If you don’t have a specialised ‘Pilates for Runners’ class in your area – a general Pilates class is a great start! I would struggle to think of a client who wouldn’t benefit from having a bit more Pilates in their life!
Pilates and Running
Pilates is a form of exercise which is widely used in programs for injury-prevention, general well-being and performance enhancement, as well as rehabilitation. It is designed to strengthen the core muscles, those which are required for good posture & movement.
The stability muscles of the hips, shoulders & thorax control the amount of energy used to propel yourself forward, so it follows that any program which dynamically strengthens these muscles, will enhance your ability to run better, quicker & for longer. To see if there are any problems in this area contact your physiotherapist for a running assessment.
The Runner’s Pilates classes we run in Sydney focus on flexibility, single leg load control and endurance. Runners are taught to use Pilates principles during running by switching on the core, allowing the glutes to better activate giving more power to push off the ground.
If you are planning to run a marathon or any race, a course of pilates will be a great addition to your running programme.
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