Two words: Lebron James.
Since 2012, James has included Pilates workouts in his weekly exercise regimen to keep his muscles loose and increase flexibility. Kobe Bryant regularly hit the Pilates studio, too. So do professional football players, ballet dancers, and Harry Styles.
“I think a lot of times people assume Pilates is more for women,” says Kiana Fotoohi, Pasadena-based senior Equinox Pilates instructor, “But Joseph Pilates always intended his program to be for everyone. And now finally, we’re seeing professional athletes of all kinds who are implementing Pilates as part of their routines.”
Fotoohi believes that every routine can benefit from at least one Pilates mat or reformer session per week. Research agrees.
Improves Core Strength and Muscular Balance
Everything in Pilates goes back to the core. As Joseph Pilates developed his program, he found that when we focus on core strength (or what he called “the power house”), the spine becomes stronger, the body better aligned, and our limbs more flexible.
But Pilates does much more than work your core. “Whether you’re doing mat or reformer classes, you’ll build core strength, but Pilates is a full-body workout,” says Fotoohi. “I think that’s something that should be deeply emphasized. One misconception [instructors] hear a lot is that Pilates is ‘just an ab workout.’ Pilates will touch every muscle you have. And it improves range of motion and quality of movement, which results in enhanced performance.”
Case in point: A 2018 study of male runners, ages 20-28, found that adding two Pilates sessions per week to their training schedule resulted in improved running performance and less muscle activation, meaning better “neuromuscular economy.”
Prevents Injuries and Improves Recovery
If you’re trying to avoid injury, Pilates can help whether you’re a professional athlete or elderly adult. “It also reduces recovery time by working all those smaller intrinsic muscles for stability,” says Fotoohi.
In recent years, Pilates has become a common rehabilitation technique, as well. A 2020 study of postpartum women found that regular mat classes significantly improved their bodies’ recovery time after giving birth.
Works the “Micro-Muscles”
If you have a solid routine that includes strength training and cardio, you might think you’re successfully working all of your muscles. But a recent study of Pilates versus resistance training found that while resistance training “generated greater benefits on trunk and hip isokinetic strength,” Pilates was more effective for building isometric hip and trunk extension strength.
“If you’re doing more high-impact workouts such as HIIT or boxing, there’s a huge benefit to incorporating a low-impact Pilates session [into your week],” she says, “Those higher-impact workouts and weightlifting work the larger muscle groups, but only Pilates will work the smaller intrinsic muscles in the body. Including both in your routine means better results.”
Personalized Results
There are two types of traditional Pilates classes: mat group classes or private sessions in the Pilates studio with equipment, such as a reformer (Equinox offers both). Mat classes are a great way to build strength and stretch out the muscles once or twice weekly — Fotoohi says it’s OK to hit a Pilates mat class after a HIIT class to balance yourself out — but the sessions in the studio are where things really get personal.
“A private Pilates session in the studio working with the equipment and with resistance will bring results geared toward an individual’s personal goals,” she says. “We work towards your body and what you need. You’ll work muscles you never felt before.”
So yes, Fotoohi suggests adding Pilates to your routine. “Whether it be two times a week or three times a week, or even once a week, it’s going to be better than doing none at all,” she says. As Joseph Pilates once said, “In 10 sessions, you’ll feel the difference, in 20 you’ll see the difference, and in 30 you’ll have a whole new body.”