Through the years I have trained thousands of clients, from young gymnasts and Irish dancer, high school athletes, adult athletes, deconditioned and non-athletic clients, retired athletes, professional men and women, moms, Pilates instructors, personal trainers, and more. Most people come to me wanting to improve their core stability, overall strength and flexibility and their posture, an often overlooked but highly important part of your fitness.
Finding The Weak Link
As I look at their bodies and begin to train them, I can point out in a second who needs to work on their core and pelvic stability and who will most likely get injured. It's not always who you think it would be.
They are usually highly athletic, have strong skills in their sport and are dedicated to their fitness. Because they train at high levels they often overtrain in their sport. Something has to give and too often it is their core and pelvic stability.
Diagnosing the Issue
There are many ways for me to find the issue. However, the best way for me to find the problem is with Pilates. There is an imbalance between the hips and no connection to what we call the power house, the abdominals, the glutes and the inner thighs.
There is a lot of musculature to cover in this area and when I have a new client attempt any of the Pilates fundamentals or put them on the reformer to do footwork, frog and leg circles or running, I can see it immediately.
Kinesthetic Awareness
I can't say enough about how important it is for a young athlete to have good kinesthetic awareness and understanding of their own body. Often these athletes are so naturally strong and competitive that they disregard the small details until they are injured. Even the best athletes in the world will tell you how important it is to cross train and pay attention to the basics and the foundation of fitness.
Pilates Is No Joke
Pilates along with a good functional strength training program is the ideal combination for any athletes trying to up their game, stay healthy, or rehabilitate an injury.
Joseph Pilates originally tested his work to help victims of the war. They were in internment camps and had various forms of injury and disease. Those that did Pilates would heal quicker and get stronger. Those techniques have been passed on to the top level athletes, gymnasts, dancers, boxers and more. There's nothing more rewarding than seeing a strong, muscular athlete try Pilates for the first time and work harder than they ever thought they would.
As one of my lacrosse players told me once, "Pilates is no joke."