A Pilates Instructor Helps Both Football and Rugby Players Benefit From Pilates

Many top footballers and rugby players are using Pilates as a way of improving co-ordination, mobility and flexibility. Players find it is a wonderful tool for recovering from injuries, as well as preventing them in the first place. These elements are all individually focused on by each Pilates instructor in our Pilates classes. They are the key benefits to regularly attending a Pilates classes at Pilates Central.

Pilates and Professional Footballers & Rugby Players

In the quest for the winning edge, modern footballers and rugby players will often latch on to any number of fitness techniques. This is especially the case if they believe it will help them where it matters most – on the pitch. Both codes of rugby, in particular, exemplify this thinking. Pilates exercises have long been incorporated into both preparation for matches and rehabilitation after injuries. In fact, the Welsh Rugby Union is among the high-profile advocates of Pilates.

Football managers such as Arsène Wenger of Arsenal, meanwhile, have long preached the crucial importance of stretching, suppleness and flexibility. These are the very things that Pilates does best. Indeed, Pilates exercises should be used more widely than they currently are. For example, they should be used in pre-match warm-up routines.

Avoiding Injuries Via Pilates Training

Both football and rugby can be physically grueling. Thus draining bodies that may already be fatigued. However, recent years have brought a growing willingness to look outside the sport for ideas. This is particularly seen in a desire to address the injury toll associated with over-training of certain muscle groups.

Weight training is an essential aspect of training for players of both sports. Yet a body that has been bulked up in the gym can become rigid and restricted in its range of movement. Take, for example, the popular pec-deck machine. It may produce an impressive upper torso, yet the movement required is unlike anything found on a sports field or even in everyday life.

With both football and rugby demanding rapid directional changes often at near-maximum pace, an inflexible physique is unhelpful. Rugby forwards must also possess the ability to deliver controlled power from the unbalanced body positions adopted in the scrum. A Pilates programme can greatly improve general mobility and enhance core strength. A the same time as easing the stress placed on the neck and spine during intense scrummaging.

It is well known that hamstring tears are also common in both sports. A properly qualified Pilates instructor, such as our teachers at Pilates central, will always expertly tailor each Pilates programme. This ensures that we are focusing on the stabiliser muscles of the pelvis (the buttocks and groin muscles), and this helps to prevent hamstring tears. Here are Pilates Central we help both Rugby and Football players to embrace a Pilates routine that benefits their respective sports. You can too! Contact us for more details.