Pilates is beneficial for athletes as it increases strength, endurance, balance, and coordination while promoting proper alignment and injury prevention. The document outlines how Pilates integrates the core muscles and provides a mind-body approach to training. Specific Pilates exercises are described that target areas important for different sports like racquet sports, running, and more. Coaches are advised to demonstrate how Pilates improves an athlete's form, efficiency, and ability to handle physical demands of their sport.

1. Pilates + Athletes = Performance Presented by Marci Clark

2. Demands of Sports

3. Objectives Identify the application of Pilates to athletics including mind/body connections Identify the benefits of core training to various sports Explore exercises that complement sport specific training

4. The Matter of Pilates for Athletes Integration of: Pelvic Girdle Pelvic Floor Shoulder Girdle Trunk/Spinal Column Breath Mind

5. History of Pilates Joseph Pilates Developed in the 1900’s A “physical fitness regimen”

6. Athletes who practice

7. Getting buy in from your athletic clients Sell the performance aspect Offer a training session for them to “feel it” Define the muscle movement involved in Pilates and how it relates to their individual sport Reinforce functional movement training

8. The Mental Game The mind leads the body  the body drives the ball, balances the stroke, swings the club, throws the ball, stabilizes the gait  the athlete visualizes the successful performance

9. Benefits of Pilates for Athletes Increases overall body strength, endurance, balance and coordination Uniformly develops muscle groups for efficient and productive movement Promotes alignment Corrects imbalances Improves oxygenation Promotes transfer of power which translates to improved speed and agility Injury prevention and rehabilitation

10. Application: Consider the Efficiency and Stabilization Need of a Sport A strong core: Enables form When the racquet and club sports extend the levers Economy of movement When the momentum needs to be halted or direction turned Decreases fatigue When the game goes into overtime or the match goes 5 sets Improves endurance When the repetitive motion of the endurance activity begins to alter the gait

11. Posturing Practical Application: Seeing it Neutral Spine in supine, seated, standing, prone and plank postures “Neutral in Motion” Common postural imbalances seen in athletes

12. Neutral Spine in supine, seated, standing, prone and plank postures

13. Neutral in Motion

14. Common Postural Imbalances Seen in Athletes

15. Mat workout Consider the foundations Apply the demands of the sports Connect each exercise to the primary sport or as a “balancer”

16. Breathing Abdominally driven Mindful Rhythmic Accessing the power

17. Supine Mat Exercises Knee Stirs Heel Slides Hundreds Single leg stretch Single straight leg stretch or “Scissors” Roll up Shoulder Bridge With foam roller Reformer Exercises Leg Circles Frog Hundreds Coordination Shoulder Bridge With press Short spine Stretch For each of these level one exercises, consider the movement and it’s application to the primary sport to help the athlete understand and access the body structures.

18. Seated Series Mat Exercises Spine stretch forward Twist Saw Mermaid Reformer Exercises Short box Spine stretch forward Twist Saw Mermaid For each of these level one exercises, consider the movement and it’s application to the primary sport to help the athlete understand and access the body structures.

19. Plank/Kneeling Series Mat Exercises Cat Camel Plank Side Plank Reverse Plank Reformer Exercises Knee stretch Down stretch Long stretch Side Plank Long back stretch For each of these level one exercises, consider the movement and it’s application to the primary sport to help the athlete understand and access the body structures.

20. Rolling Series Mat Exercises Roll like a ball Open leg rocker Roll over Reformer Exercises Short spine Long spine Roll down For each of these level one exercises, consider the movement and it’s application to the primary sport to help the athlete understand and access the body structures.

21. References: Spin Pilate Training Manuals – M. Clark The Pilates Body –B. Siler Power Pilates – M. Winsor Stronger Abs and Back – Brittenham and Brittenham Crosstraining for Runners – Matt Fitzgerald Athletic Development – V. Gambetta