Pilates for Athletes

“You will feel better in 10 sessions, look better in 20 sessions and have a completely new body in 30 sessions.”

~ Joseph H. Pilates

Curt Schilling, the Arizona Diamondbacks star pitcher, agrees.

“The first three weeks, I was really disappointed,” says Schilling, who incorporated Pilates into his off-season training program last winter. “I wasn’t sweating. I wasn’t winded, which is what I associate with true exercise.

“Then in the fourth week I started to understand the Pilates terminology, the idea of working from your center. By the third month I was more powerful and flexible than ever before. And I’d lost 15 pounds.”

—————————————————————————

Prevent Injury

For Buffalo Bills Pro Bowl offensive guard Ruben Brown, Pilates is all about preventing injury.

“I’m a big guy with a gut,” the 6-0, 300-pound Brown says. “I was always battling back strain. Plus, I’m 30 years old now. I’m tired of lifting weights, taking the pounding.”

————————————————————————————-

Many pro athletes are discovering what dancers, rehab specialists and doctors have know for years. Pilates is a great way cross-train yourself and improve your sport. The repetitive motions of professional or amateur sports can be tough on a body. The same muscles are being used everyday in the same way and that stresses the body. Tendons and ligaments are being strained, and over time imbalances are being trained into the body. Pilates helps you learn how to correctly move your muscles, stretch out all those tight tendons and ligaments and build flexibility back into the body.

————————————————————————————

Not just for Women and Dancers

Jason Kidd, the Nets superstar point guard, gave his wife, Joumana, a longtime Pilates devotee, a hard time when she told him it might help in his rehabilitation of a broken ankle a few years ago. After weeks of making fun of Pilates, Kidd finally tried it.

“I immediately discovered how tight I was,” Kidd recalls. “After one session I was energized. From that point on I was convinced it was a great workout.”

For Kidd, Pilates is all about finding the edge. He estimates 30% of his strength and flexibility training comes from Pilates. “Pilates has made me quicker, more explosive,” he says.

Remember, Pilates was developed by a man and most of his early clients were business men in New York City. These exercises are designed to build strength and be explosive. Pilates is not for the faint at heart

———————————————————————————————————————-

Stars Choose Pilates to Keep in Shape

According to a report from Star Magazine the megastar Tom Cruise keeps his body in action-hero shape with a grueling 90 minutes of Pilates every single day.

“This is a really tough workout, and it isn’t for the squeamish, but Tom likes to really challenge himself,” a friend tells Star.

“He works out with a trainer at home seven days a week, and he’s been doing Pilates for years. He has all the Pilates equipment right there at his house!”

“Tom says he feels younger and stronger with Pilates,” a friend adds. “It gives him more stamina. He also likes to do his own stunts in the movies, so this keeps him primed!”