Never Walk.
Pilates for Runners (or how I somewhat accidentally became a Pilates instructor)
Prolog
Nearly ten years ago I was diagnosed with two degenerated discs in my lower spine. The doctor at the time told me that I could try physiotherapy but he expected me to be back in his office within a year for spinal surgery. The diagnosis came after years of niggling pain in my lower back - especially after long spouts of working sitting in front of a computer. And certainly not the kind of diagnosis you want to hear.
I tried traditional physiotherapy - and lo and behold: It didn’t work. I tried a different therapist with a different approach - to no avail. Then Jane convinced me to give Pilates a shot. Pilates is a form of exercise which puts the emphasis on building a strong core, in the understanding that the core muscles stabilize and support the whole body, thus reducing stress on your bones, ligaments and tendons.
We started doing traditional Pilates, consisting of exercises done on the floor using mainly your own bodyweight as resistance. Beside the point that it can be ridiculously hard to work your body that way, the pain in my lower back disappeared after only two months of two weekly one hour training sessions. I was baffled - and accepted the simple idea that core strength leads to a healthy posture which in turn removed my nasty back pain.
Relearning Pilates
When we came to America, Jane and I were keen to keep up the habit and find a Pilates studio where we could work out. Through chance we found a studio just down the road from our place - BodyDynamic PT had just opened and it turned out that the owner, Becky, trained a group of marathoners who were on their way to qualify for the 2012 Olympic games.
I started working out with the group and quickly learned a completely new side to Pilates - instead of focussing on the more traditional Pilates mat work, Becky had us use the Pilates machines and modified the exercises to focus on runner specific problem areas (core strength, lower leg stability, inner and outer thighs, hip flexor strength and flexibility, glute strength). We also tackled exercises much more like a gym workout - working the muscles to the point of exhaustion to trigger faster adoption and strength gain.
The effects were near immediate - not only did I manage to keep my back in good health but I also grew stronger fast. Further the specific focus on running yielded quick results - my running form (especially when tired at the end of a longer run) was better, I felt much stronger when running fast and my ability to tackle hills without burning out my quads grew significantly.
Becoming a Trainer
I was convinced. So much so, that I decided to take Becky’s offer up and trained to become a Pilates trainer myself. I now work with a group of runners - including two Olympic marathon trials runners and a successful ultramarathoner.
If you ever want to do something for your posture, help yourself with niggling pain or simply become a better runner - for me, there is no better way than Pilates. Give it a try! And if you are in the Los Gatos, CA area - pop by and take one of my classes. :)
