Enhance Your Running Performance with Pilates
Running is a powerful and exhilarating form of exercise. Going on a run can help clear your mind, improve your cardiovascular health, and challenge your endurance. However, as many runners are aware, this kind of high-impact activity can take a toll on your body if not balanced with the right kind of cross-training. Incorporating Pilates into a training regimen offers runners a valuable tool for improving form, posture, and overall technique.
Running primarily takes place in the sagittal plane of motion, meaning you're moving forward and backward. In running, the sagittal plane is most active during the forward propulsion phase, where hip flexion and extension, knee bending and straightening, and ankle dorsiflexion and plantarflexion occur. While this is great for building endurance and speed, it can also lead to imbalances in the body. Over time, these imbalances can cause misalignments and common overuse injuries. This is where Pilates comes in.
Pilates is unique in that it works the body in all planes of motion including sagittal, transverse, and frontal. The transverse plane divides the body into upper and lower halves by encompassing rotational movements, and the frontal plane divides the body into front and back halves involving side-to-side movements. This comprehensive approach ensures that you’re not just strengthening the main muscles used in running but also addressing the muscles that stabilize and support your body during movement. By training in the transverse and frontal planes, you strengthen your entire body, improving your overall stability and reducing the risk of injury. There are four key areas that Pilates cross-training focuses on that work towards the goal of increasing stability and reducing injury for runners. Incorporating Pilates into your routine can improve posture, foot striking while running, maintaining pelvic stability, and decreasing imbalances throughout the body.
Working in all these planes of motion, Pilates first improves posture. This is essential for runners, helping you to stack your bones and joints correctly and maintain an optimal posture throughout your run. Proper running form includes a slight forward lean, originating from the ankles rather than the waist. This lean helps with momentum, reduces braking forces, and encourages efficient foot strike. Maintaining an upright posture with shoulders relaxed and avoiding a hunched back is essential for optimal breathing and efficiency. As the legs move through the running cycle, the upper body counterbalances through a natural rotation. This rotation should come from the thoracic spine, allowing the arms to swing naturally and the shoulders to stay relaxed. Insufficient rotation can lead to inefficiencies and increased injury risk. Pilates includes exercises that specifically target this thoracic region, helping to increase mobility and flexibility. These exercises often involve controlled, repetitive rotational movements that encourage the thoracic spine to move through its full range of motion.
The second key area Pilates can improve your run is by improving the mobility of your feet. A midfoot strike is often recommended for most runners, as it allows the foot to land directly underneath the body, reducing impact forces. Strong, mobile feet contribute to better shock absorption and propulsion. The foot's ability to roll through its arches effectively is crucial for maintaining running efficiency and preventing injuries like plantar fasciitis. Pilates often emphasizes the articulation of the feet, which involves actively using the foot's intrinsic muscles to move through the full range of motion. Exercises are designed to increase awareness of the way each part of the foot moves and interacts with the ground. This is particularly important for the medial arch (the highest of the three arches in the foot), which plays a crucial role in shock absorption and weight distribution throughout a run.
The third area Pilates focuses on is control of your pelvic floor. The pelvis plays a central role in running mechanics. Pilates trains you to become more aware of your pelvic alignment. Exercises like Pelvic Tilts and Bridges can help you find and maintain a neutral pelvis, even when transitioning to more dynamic movements. This awareness is crucial for runners, as it enables them to maintain proper alignment throughout their run, reducing stress on the lower back and hips. A stable pelvis ensures that the legs can move efficiently without excessive tilting or dropping on each step, which can lead to issues like IT band syndrome or hip pain. Efficient breathing, which often involves diaphragmatic breathing (using the diaphragm muscle), helps maximize oxygen intake and maintain stamina. The pelvic floor muscles support core stability and help control intra-abdominal pressure, reducing the risk of injury and supporting efficient movement. Pilates, the pelvic floor, and proper breath control all go hand in hand. A strong core and gluteal muscles are vital for maintaining this pelvic stability. Pilates includes exercises that target the hip stabilizers, such as the gluteus medius and minimus. Clamshells help strengthen these muscles, ensuring that the pelvis remains steady during each stride, enhancing running efficiency and preventing compensatory patterns that can lead to injury.
Lastly, Pilates brings awareness to and targets your imbalances. Runners often develop imbalances between the left and right sides of the body. Pilates includes exercises that focus on single-leg and unilateral work, helping to strengthen each side individually. This not only improves balance but also ensures that each leg is equally strong, reducing the risk of overuse injuries. Incorporating Pilates into your routine doesn’t have to be complicated. Here are a couple of moves you can try at home:
Single-Leg Work: Start with a single-leg squat. Stand on one leg, lunge back, and hinge forward at the hips. Extend your leg behind you for balance, and then lower your toe to the ground and back up. This exercise strengthens the legs and improves balance.
Rotation Work: Try a side plank with a thread-the-needle move. Start in a side plank position, then rotate your torso and thread your top arm under your body, reaching for the opposite side. Return to the starting position. This exercise works the obliques and improves rotational stability.
Pilates is more than just a cross-training option for runners; it’s a powerful tool that can transform your running performance. By focusing on moving in all planes of motion, proper breath control, and improved posture, Pilates helps you build a stronger, more resilient body that’s less prone to injury and better equipped to handle the demands of running. Whether you’re a casual runner or a serious competitor, incorporating Pilates into your routine can help you run smarter, faster, and longer. To dive more into this topic you can click here for our Pilates for Runners workshop for $40.