We all know that Pilates strengthens your core, but did you know that its other benefits could improve your run? Pilates offers more than meets the eye, from better posture to more supple muscles, it is a full body conditioning system.

 Posture is crucial for runners, good posture can lead you to increase your distance as well as alleviate back pain post running. One of our favorite posture series is rowing; each exercise builds on the other to provide strength in our postural muscles. In turn, this makes good posture effortless, even when performing exercises that require maximum effort.

 Stamina, if you’ve got it running feels like a breeze, if you don’t it can be hard to keep up. Stamina is one of the three components that are incorporated with every Pilates movement along with strength and stretch. Throughout a Pilates program you will be challenged to flow from one exercise to the other with less and less rest time. This in turns builds up our stamina, which is one of the most important factors for an endurance runner. Without stamina, and or pacing, you’ll find yourself getting easily winded. To combat this, a regular Pilates practice will promote a steady stride, deeper breathing and uniformed muscle use.

 Let’s talk about core strength, it’s what Pilates is known for, but why is it so important for runners? Having a strong core means stability, which leads to increased body awareness and improved running efficiency.  Stability is crucial for runners when in compromising terrain such as up hill, down hill or trail running. Having a stable center means you’re able to move better, keeping an even stride and working with correct foot placement. You hold your posture with ease, a strong center helps work together with our postural muscles to maintain our posture in compromising activities. Lastly, stable cores help increase your efficiency by allowing for diaphragm expansion and deepening your breath to power up your movements.

 If you are someone who would love to shave off some time, add a few more miles, or even just feel better after your run… head to your nearest Pilates studio to receive expert instruction on your new best strength conditioning exercise. 

- Jennifer