Are you a marathon enthusiast looking to boost your performance before the next event? Do you incorporate cross-training into your regimen, either for fun or competition? Pilates could be the most significant step you’re missing in your routine! This type of movement engages the entire body, which can significantly impact your performance in other tasks. Many men and women interested in joining a Reformer Pilates class are cross-trainers and marathon lovers because of the noticeable effects it can have.
Essential Takeaways
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Pilates strengthens core muscles you might miss in other workouts, keeping you stable and efficient during intense exercise.
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You may notice smoother movements and more equal muscle activation because Pilates trains your muscles symmetrically.
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By targeting overlooked areas of the body and reducing your reliance on specific muscle groups to the exclusion of others, Pilates can reduce the risk of injury.
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Pilates focuses heavily on deep breathing as a skill, which translates directly to increased oxygen efficiency and endurance during challenging movements, such as cross-training and marathons.
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During your downtime, Pilates is invaluable for recovery, releasing tight muscles and boosting circulation to help you heal and stay on track with your regimen.
How Pilates Benefits Cross-Trainers and Marathoners
Any exercise that helps your body adapt to strain and improve endurance can translate into better performance in marathons and cross-training. However, Pilates, in particular, offers advantages that are hard to find elsewhere.
It Strengthens the Core
While many types of exercise can engage the core to some extent, Pilates consistently incorporates the core into its workouts. Not only that, but Pilates targets deep core muscles, such as the transverse abdominis and the pelvic floor, that runners and cross-trainers often overlook.
These muscles keep the body stable during movement, which means your posture and alignment remain intact during strenuous exercises or long runs. You’ll waste less energy, stay in form, and increase the buffer before fatigue sets in.
It Improves Movement Mechanics
To avoid overuse and maintain your endurance, you should target movements that strengthen your form. Pilates accomplishes this in two ways: proprioception and alignment. First, Pilates boosts flexibility and mobility so that your body can move the way it is supposed to. This keeps your spine aligned and your joints ready to handle impact, so your movements are smoother, and your muscles activate more evenly.
Second, the careful, inwardly attentive nature of Pilates helps to build your own self-awareness. You will gradually be able to identify where your body is in space (a skill called proprioception). This transfers directly to cross-training and running, where being able to check in with your form and the state of your body can be invaluable for making micro-adjustments during an event or routine.
It Reduces the Incidence of Injuries
Injuries can be common in athletic pursuits that require significant energy or complex movements. Muscle imbalances, tight hip flexors, unstable joints, and more can all lead to pain or even more severe injuries, such as tears and strains. Pilates buildsbalance across the body’s muscle groups, teaching them how to activate without compensation. This can decrease the strain on the joints and reduce aches and pains as one muscle or group bears the brunt of the effort.
It Boosts Breathing Efficiency
Deep breathing is an essential part of Pilates, and maintaining controlled breathing throughout the exercises can gradually improve your body’s oxygen efficiency and your awareness of your diaphragm. This skill translates directly into cross-training and marathons, where more oxygen efficiency means better-supplied muscles and a steadier heart rate. The focus on breathing can also help you stay calm and focused, even when your routines get difficult or you feel discouraged during a marathon.
It Helps You Recover Faster
Pilates is not just a preparation step for cross-trainers and marathoners; it is also its own form of recovery. It promotes circulation, improves mobility, and can help to release tight muscles so you can bounce back faster after a challenging workout. This might help you maintain a consistent training regimen without burning out, pushing you closer to your goals.
Try Pilates for Yourself and See How Your Results Change
If you are looking for a way to level up your exercise and achieve new goals, Reformer Pilates could be the thing you are missing. Cross-trainers, marathoners, and many others can all benefit, and the friendly team of instructors at RTR Pilates will help you learn the ropes, even if you have never seen a reformer machine before. Contact RTR Pilates to sign up for a class and see just how much your performance changes when you incorporate consistent Pilates as a support and recovery tool.
