Pilates For Men: Are You Man Enough?
Come to any of our sessions and you’ll conclude that Reformer Pilates is something that’s predominantly done by women. This gives the impression that Pilates isn’t an exercise for men – but you couldn’t be more wrong.
Pilates exercises, especially Reformer Pilates ones, are hard work. You may not be pounding the treadmill, working up a sweat on circuit training, or building up bulk, but you will be strengthening muscles and improving balance, posture and flexibility. The kind of exercise offered by Reformer Pilates is essential for building up the core strength and stability you need not only for your exercise regime to be more effective, but also to protect you from the risks of injury.
Reformer Pilates is getting a lot of coverage in mainstream men’s fitness magazines such as Men’s Health because it really is beneficial. High-profile professional athletes and sportsmen such as Cristiano Ronaldo incorporate Pilates into their fitness routines. When David Beckham was playing for AC Milan, he did an hour of Pilates a day because it helped him elongate his football career. And many PGA golfers like Tiger Woods do Pilates as it helps reduce pain and injury and helps them play better.
Pilates is a whole-body workout that works by strengthening the core, at the same time as improving balance and flexibility. Reformer Pilates supports your body as you work out, helping you to develop the deeper muscles that other exercises don’t normally work on.
When it comes to bulking up, Reformer Pilates can help by increasing your strength and flexibility. With a greater range of movement, you’ll find it easier to do the exercises that help you build muscle mass.
When muscles become tight, they can pull the body out of shape. Stretching and lengthening tight muscles can relax the muscles, which helps restore and maintain good posture. Stronger, more flexible muscles are less prone to injury.
Reformer Pilates was originally developed by Joseph Pilates as a form of physiotherapy to help bedbound hospital patients regain their strength and flexibility without putting undue strain on the site of the injury. This means that if you have a muscle injury or pain that is preventing you from playing sport, getting back to your golf game or doing your normal gym routine, you will still be able to exercise using the Reformer bed. Each exercise has an alternative option, so if you are unable to do something because of an injury, you can still maintain or increase your core strength and balance and improve flexibility. Tell your Pilates instructor that you have an injury and they will suggest alternative exercises wherever necessary.
Anything but! Pilates is not easy at all. Quite the opposite in fact, because it requires a mental and physical effort to engage the muscles. OK so it may not burn away the calories in the same way that circuit training does, but you can still work up a sweat. And you can adapt the Reformer bed to increase the resistance and make things harder. This is why Reformer Pilates works so well for mixed groups – athletes can do the exercises alongside beginners and they‘ll both feel the benefits.
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