There are many benefits to be gained from Pilates for exercisers and non-exercisers alike, which is why it has fast become a trend. These benefits extend beyond the immediately obvious and for the runner core stability and a deeper knowledge of your inner strength or foundation is a key benefit for any enhanced performance.

Pilates is a complete exercise method designed by its founder Joseph Pilates over 100 years ago borrowing systems from Yoga and Martial Arts. Pilates is a series of repetitive, low impact, stretching and conditioning exercises focusing on core strength, posture and rhythmical breathing. The aim is to improve both physical health and mental wellbeing. For those looking to take responsibility for their own body, health and fitness Pilates will provide an awareness of body function and capability. Pilates works on core stability, building a solid foundation, restoring balance to promote enhanced movement and can assists in any situation of muscular pain or nervous system discomfort throughout the exercise programme.

The body is a reflection of the individuals' nature and nurture. Repetitive movements, sustained postures, joint hyper mobility, injury, stress and illness are a number of factors which can influence movement, posture and the runners' performance. Many people are introduced to Pilates after an injury or later in life as they become more aware of the physical limitations they feel. Whatever the reason the universal complaint is that they did not discover it sooner!

Potential benefits Pilates to the runner;

• Increased inner strength
• Greater stamina
• Improved posture
• Restored balance
• Enhanced co-ordination
• Reduced muscular strain
• Relief from stress
• Sharper awareness
• Opportunity for quality cross-training
• Potential for performance enhancement
• Better understanding of your capabilities

Increased inner strength

Working on the core and muscles resonating from the core, Pilates will help build a solid platform of inner strength. This inner strength; your body's own girdle if you like, will help provide a stable foundation to assist your running muscles to function more efficiently. The core includes the muscles of the abdomen, pelvis and back. By stretching and toning these muscles you will increase your strength without putting on bulk.

Greater Stamina

Muscles that also have to provide stability, as well as action, for running will tire quicker. If the core is strong then overall stamina should be a natural progression over time. As above Pilates works on the core, including your internal muscle system, which can be overlooked in commonly known workouts. Through conditioning of the abdomen, pelvis and back runners stamina can be see vast improvements.

Improved Posture

Whilst often overlooked your posture is extremely important to your health, well being and running performance. Poor posture can lead to reduced movement, pain and ultimately injury. Hours spent sitting at a desk, in the car or 'slouching' in front of the TV can lead to spinal misalignment and rounded shoulders. Pilates promotes spinal re-alignment and overall muscular conditioning and with this comes 'good' posture.

Restored balance

The benefits of Pilates for balance and co-ordination relates to the improvement in core strength and flexibility. Pilates focuses on stretching and strengthening muscles, which gives you much better balance and can help prevent injury, particularly amongst sports people.

Enhanced co-ordination

Improvements to strength and balance through a period of exercise will highlight specific areas of function, cause and effect, and from this a greater appreciation of your running action should enable you to perform with more efficiency and co-ordination.

Reduced muscular strain

Pilates has been recognised as an effective form of exercise to help prevent injury and reduce any pain or discomfort. The breathing techniques together with the controlled, focused nature of the regime places low impact on the joints, teaches accurate, appropriate stretches on stressed muscles/muscle groups but not to the point of injury. The building of specific postural muscle strength serves to reduce stress by conditioning them to enhance support to the more powerful action muscles. Improved posture and core strength can help to reduce overall unnecessary strain and prevention of recurring overuse injury.

Relief from Stress

Exercise has long been recognised as an effective way of relieving stress and improving mental wellbeing. With Pilates you become more aware of your functionality and this understanding linked with the nature of the exercise make it an excellent stress relief tool. Not only this, improvements in flexibility, reduction in pain and breathing control can lead to better relaxation and sleep.

Sharper awareness

The ground work on all aspects of your being; core strength, posture, conditioning, stretching, breathing and the appreciation of all parts of the whole will serve you well to allow you to work towards the peak performance possible. Small improvements as you reach any peak (whatever your peak is) will make all the difference ultimately.

Opportunity for quality cross training

When so focused on your running it is often quite difficult to break the mould or see any benefit in anything other than putting one foot in front of the other. Once the basics have been learned through a small class or one to one with a personal trainer perhaps then the ability to do something else with confidence will provide a great outlet to train well for your running without running. A great tool for rest days or when circumstances just will not allow a run.

Potential for performance enhancement/ Better understanding of your capabilities

As a runner at any level there comes a point when you have tried a number of training methods, put in the miles, sweated and even been through the pain barrier physically and mentally!...... and still you wonder how you might be able to move on from where you are and perform better. You may even have been dogged by niggling injuries or worse still occasional physical breakdown. You may be consumed by crisis of confidence in your ability or merely oblivious to your potential you posses. Sometimes it is not just the running that is the key and it could be something else that gives you an edge; something that you can link in to your running. Pilates can offer you so many different avenues towards your quest for performance enhancement as well as building your overall knowledge and experience of technique and training rather than just running. Keep track of your performance and how it changes with added regimes in your runners log.

Wynsport.com says; always research before setting out in something new, seek advice from fellow club members. Visit a Pilates class or make contact with a personal trainer. Many offer one to one sessions tailored to the needs of runners or better still get a small group of your fellow running friends together and spread the cost of some Pilates for runners/foundation course. Take the principles learned from this and continue either with frequent classes or practice at home. In the meantime a wobble board, wobble cushion and gym swiss ball offers an excellent opportunity for starting out some core stability exercise at home or at work. These can be used for basic and advanced workouts on an ongoing basis. Good luck!