During recovery from a surgical procedure, I started doing Pilates to ease back into my fitness routine. Pilates is a low-impact form of exercises that strengthen muscles, increase flexibility and focus on the core. There are two choices when it comes to Pilates, a simple mat workout or a Reformer gym with equipment. I do not live near a Pilates gym with equipment and therefore all of my workouts are done on a mat. (1)
John H. Pilates created the workouts to help World War I soldier’s restore strength. Often confused with yoga, Pilates focuses on core strength and is more active with a steady pace. (3) I personally like that Pilates is convenient to do with a simple mat. Pilates can be done either at home, in a gym or in a park.
Pilates offers many benefits to runners, including core strength, balance and breathing exercises. Pilates focuses on building a strong core and posture, two benefits that help with running form, pace setting and injury prevention. (2)
Pilates can be a great low-cost option for cross training on a budget. There are free Pilates videos on YouTube and inexpensive mats can be found at Target, Walmart or TJ Maxx. Two of my go-to YouTube accounts for Pilates routines is Blogilates and Move with Nicole.
Do you think you would like Pilates? Would Pilates be beneficial to your training?
Works Cited:
Abbate, Emily. “8 Things to Know Before Your First Pilates Class.” SELF, 2 Jan. 2019, http://www.self.com/story/5-things-to-know-before-you-take-pilates-classes.
Person. (2020, March 25). Everything You Need to Know About Pilates Before Trying This Toning Workout. Retrieved September 01, 2020, from https://www.prevention.com/fitness/a30432062/what-is-pilates/
Scarr, Georgia. “Why Runners Should Do Pilates.” Runner’s World, Runner’s World, 16 Jan. 2019, http://www.runnersworld.com/uk/health/a773930/why-runners-should-do-pilates/.
Ten Minute Miles 
Thanks for sharing! I’m going to add this to my fitness routine because I need to strengthen my core.
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