Yesterday I had a chance to chat with the current UK and World V60 100/200 champion at a meet and one of the questions I asked him was what would be the single most important activity that you contribute to your success and without hesitation he said Pilates. He went on to describe how it develops inner strength, or strength form the inside, and helped him build a very strong core which gives his body the stability it requires to maintain form when running at speed, especially in the second part of the longer sprints.
Naturally, I’m intrigued as I have never considered it or even looked at Pilates or Yoga seriously before.
I’m hoping to change that.
I would be very grateful if fellow VRBs could give me some pointers for resources to get me started or could share experiences and any other advice.
thank you 🙏 😊
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RunBrianRun
Half Marathon
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Hello Brian, I was doing Pilates once or twice a week before I started running. I got out of the habit when gyms were closed and I have noticed the difference in my running with not doing it. You really do use your abs and muscles supporting your back, which Pilates strengthens. I did classes at first because the tutor can spot that your technique is correct and not damaging. But the online tutorials available are better than nothing. Yoga with Adriene also covers a lot of the same moves but probably best to start with the beginner videos .
I do need to strengthen those areas for sure especially my lower back (as it constantly reminds me). It sounds like I ought to get lessons to start with then to make sure I have the right technique.
I’ve done Pilates for about 20 years now Brian, always with a properly qualified instructor. For the first 12 years I did mat Pilates (ie doing varying exercises lying on a mat in a class) which was great but then I found Reformer Pilates which is in a different league IMO.
There’s a description below but essentially you use a machine and weights and pulleys are added to increase resistance for added strength and stamina. Reformer Pilates has transformed my back from being in a fair amount of pain every time I bent down in the garden to pain-free movement for much longer, a really strong core, especially obliques (which are soooo needed for good running form) and I’ve even added an inch to my height because my spine has lengthened!
You’re probably at this stage thinking, “but didn't you injure your back recently?” Yes I did! That’s because I took my strengthened back for granted a bit and worked for far too long on all fours in the garden. No matter how strong your back is, there’s is always a limit and that was mine 🙄
With any Pilates you’ll notice results fairly quickly.
Mat Pilates is still a great complement to running and perhaps you could start off with that and then move on to Reformer Pilates later. Have a search and see what’s available in your area and try asking at a gym or running club for recommendations.
The instructor makes a big difference and like everything else there are some great ones and others not so great. A good instructor will have a chat with you before any class to determine any injuries or weak areas and then throughout will suggest you don’t do certain moves or do alternatives.
Let us know how you get on but as you can probably tell, I’m a big supporter of Pilates!
Wow IP that’s such a lot of useful information. Thank you. I’ll have a look around and see if I can get onto some local classes. I must admit I do like the sound of reformer Pilates. Very interested also to read about the obliques. My coach in my last session said that I am rocking too much when I’m getting tired and said that we will be working on core strengthening as well technique. He specifically mentioned the obliques!
I’m so glad that you are back running and as you say we must never take our current health for granted. There’s always something we can do or should be doing to stay fit and healthy and even improve!
Oh yes the gadgets. There was much hilarity in my studio when we once spied a pair of fluffy handcuffs 😳 but the instructor showed us what they were for and then I had a go. It was a new move 😂
I have a similar experience to IP, although only mat pilates (which most classes will be unless they say otherwise). I would say an instructor led class us essential if you haven't done these moves before; once you know how they should 'feel' you could try online sessions and see how you go, but a good instructor will make SO much difference and will know which adaptations will suit you - and your running needs - best.Absolutely do try it - and let us know what you think 😊
Hi Brian, I have no recent first hand experience of pilates, but I started yoga in the January before I started running in 2018. I’d never done it before, but I was ‘that age’ and found things were seizing up, especially as I had a very hands-on job working with horses.
Yoga with Adriene was recommended by my daughter, and I haven’t looked back. Some of her moves are fairly like pilates actually, and she gave me enough yoga knowledge to confidently attend my first live class at the gym a few weeks ago! I’m now doing that once a week (hour long class), plus as many online Adriene practices I can fit in.
I’m a huge fan, and I’m not prone to injury at all which may or may not have anything to do with it. 😀 🧘♀️ 🙏🏻
Thank you Cheeky. You have just reminded me of a chap I met at a Parkrun a few years ago who was a massive advocate of yoga and specially ‘yoga for runners’. I didn’t follow up on it as I completely forgot about it and never connected yoga and running in my head.
I’ll happily incorporate that too though if I can find the time. I will though as I’m determined to find more speed with what remains of this season but especially during my winter training. 👍
Thanks Cheeky! 👍 It’s a delicate balance between all the usual running hurdles. Life, family, training, recovery and most importantly, injury avoidance.
The last one is the trickiest in my sport as the injuries are usually quite severe when they occur. So the focus is on proper form, technique, strength and most importantly, recovery.
Pilates would seem to be a key factor in providing strength leading to better technique.
The trick now is to find the time to fit this in. 😅😂
I do Pilates weekly and love it. It sorts out my back and computer neck ready for another week. When the class is finished I feel like I’ve been stretched out which feels great. I would also recommend a class at first to get correct posture / form and breathing. However, there are several free videos on the NHS website if you want to give it a go in the meantime.
Number 1 = Find a good teacher. I do pilates twice a week and it compliments my running. You may find it slow and get frustrated at the start, but stick with it and you will see the benefits.
Thank you LurcherMum . I’ll definitely stick with it after hearing from the champ himself. I am super motivated to improve and will try my best to do so.
Before I started running I suffered regularly from a back that would lock up and be really painful. I’d get the initial bit sorted with an osteopath but it wasn’t until I started Pilates with a group run by local physiotherapists that it started to get sorted. I can really recommend it too! Try to find a group run by physio’s, then you can pick their brains on other things as well, but they really know what they’re doing too.
Now that’s a good idea! I’ve been searching and there’s literally loads and loads of classes but I can’t seem to find one run t physios yet. My back is always reminding me of my age but since I started sprinting it has toughened my core. It’s good to hear that you and others have benefited from Pilates and that it specifically helped your back. 👍
It was definitely the start of my return to fitness Brian. Can’t believe there won’t be a physio led group round your way somewhere 🤔. Hope you’ve found somewhere to suit 👍
Glad I happened across this post as I'm thinking of starting pilates. I hurt my back last autumn and a physio led pilates style progressive exercise program was the only thing that got me back on my feet again.It's gone to pot though as I injured my shoulder in a fall several months ago and am struggling to put any weight on it still.
Everyone seems to agree on finding a "good" teacher, but how do you know if someone is good or not?
That’s really bad luck. hope your shoulder improves soon and that you can get back into Pilates again soon. Really good question about the quality of an instructor. I guess one way would be to research reviews or maybe by word of mouth. I guess it also depends on how you find them when at the class too.
Hia RunBrianRun, I think you are probably all sorted with advice about yoga and Pilates, but just to add a few more resources for free home-based workouts, here are some links:
- daily short yoga: we (S&F) have just started a daily short yoga practice again, with Yoga with Adriene. So have a look at healthunlocked.com/strength...
- online free mat Pilates workouts: my favourite workout channel for Pilates is MVMT (with Cailin) and we did a 30-day core challenge with MVMT about a year ago. All links are in this post healthunlocked.com/strength...
- MVMT has a few videos about reformer Pilates, but I’ve never done them (but always wished for), see intro to all studio equipment youtu.be/nnqQQkV6mQ4 and a reformer beginner workout youtu.be/nLEFpUsIEU0
Hope you find something great. I personally love home workouts, as I can fit these into my daily practice more easily, but of course one misses out on the social aspects of participating in a group.
Couldn't remember where you were located but if near Brighton/Hove there are quite a few around including rachelpotter.co.uk/about (wife of a certain football manager 😉)
If willing to travel a bit further afield I can highly recommend turningtidepilates.com in Uckfield (I've done both mat & reformer with Jess).
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