Why Athletes Are Adding Pilates to Their Training
If you train seriously — you run, lift, hike, cycle, play a sport — you've probably noticed more athletes adding Pilates into the mix lately. It’s not a coincidence. There's a growing body of research showing where Pilates can actually help improve performance across a range of different fitness activities.
This isn't me telling you to swap out your sport-specific training for Pilates. It's not cardio, and it's not going to make you lift heavier or run faster on its own. What it does is build the deep stability and control that determines how efficiently your body handles everything else you're training for.
What "Athletic Performance" Actually Means Here
When people hear "Pilates helps athletes," they often think flexibility, stretching or something fun to do on a recovery day. But the more interesting research is about something more specific: movement efficiency. Basically, this means how much energy your body burns to do the same physical task.
A 2023 systematic review looked at Pilates and athletic performance and found improvements across a range of tests, including balance, strength, flexibility, coordination and some directly relating to sports performance. (Read it here)
This is where Pilates earns its keep. Not by making you stronger in the same way a barbell does, but by challenging your core, balance, coordination and control — and helping you use the strength you already have more efficiently.
The Clearest Evidence: Running
The best example is running. Researchers in Brazil had trained runners add mat Pilates twice a week for 12 weeks. (See the study) The Pilates group ran significantly faster 5Ks than the control group, and the researchers figured out why: their bodies were burning less energy and working their postural muscles (the ones that keep you upright and stable, like your core and lower back) less at the same pace. [Read the full running article here.]
And there's the rub: Pilates isn't necessarily about producing more force. It's about how well you control and organize the force you already have.
Why This Matters for Injury Prevention
Performance gets talked about more, but the injury-prevention aspect of the argument is the stronger one — or "pre-hab," as I like to call it. Overuse injuries are rarely about one thing. Training load, recovery, strength, movement patterns and individual biomechanics can all play a role. Pilates is useful here because it gives you a way to work on control, strength and the quality of the movement without simply adding more to an already demanding training schedule.
That's one reason Pilates has found a place in some professional and elite training environments. Think of it as building a proper foundation, so the training you stack on top of it is more solid.
What This Looks Like in Practice
A few things worth knowing if you're an athlete thinking about adding Pilates into your training:
Less really is more here. The running study only used two sessions a week. This is a realistic addition without eating too much into your primary training.
The work requires precision. The benefits found in the research come from targeted control and alignment. For an athlete, the biggest advantage of private sessions is the ability to tailor the exercises to the demands of your sport, your movement patterns and the areas where you need more control.
This isn't about getting more flexible. Flexibility is only part of the picture. What matters is mobility, stability and control through the ranges of motion your sport demands. I see this constantly with clients — they try to muscle through a movement with brute strength and momentum, and a big part of my job is retraining them to use their bodies differently.
If You Want to Learn More…
The right Pilates program will look different depending on the sport. If you want the specifics for yours:
And if you're already training hard and curious what this could look like for your body and your sport, that's exactly the kind of thing I love working through with clients one-on-one. Contact me here