Can Pilates help your running posture?

Pilates can help your running posture, which will improve your running, help you run longer and maybe faster too.

The way we live these days has had a huge impact on our posture and this affects the way we run.

We sit for longer, look down at our phones as we walk, and working from home hasn’t helped as we sit at poor workstations.

What effect does this have on our running?

Sitting for long periods causes our glute muscles to become weaker and our hip flexors tighten. Effecting these muscles’ performance when we run.

Sitting also causes us to hunch over, tightening the chest muscles and stretching the back muscles. Which will affect our breathing when we run.

Pilates and posture

Doing regular Pilates improves your posture and therefore will improve your running posture too. Check this article to see why running posture is so important. You can read it here

Pilates focuses on:

The Core

The core is made up of a group of muscles that stabilise and support the pelvis and the spine by strengthening the muscles around them, allowing them to function well to help our running.

The Glutes

These powerful muscles help you run and are an important part of the running movement and help stabilise the pelvis as we move.

If you sit for long periods and your glutes are weak they don’t fire up and work as well when running, meaning the hamstrings take over, causing tightness there too.

The Back

The muscles of the back are also part of the core. Ensuring the spine moves well and keeps you upright as well as helping to stabilise the Pelvis.

Why is all this important?

We know that pelvis stabilisation and your running posture is essential to runners.

Reducing twisting as we run, using less energy so we can run longer.
Improves our running technique
Our body is in good alignment so our limbs can work well and freely
To reduce our risk of injury.

But for this to happen we need a strong core.

Taking 10-minutes daily or at least 3 x times a week to do Pilates for runners exercises will help you build a stronger core and make a difference to your running posture (and your overall posture) Check out my blog How often should runners do Pilates to help you if you are new to Pilates. You can read it here

Try this short video with Pilates exercises for running posture, which takes you through 3 Pilates exercises to help strength, core, back, and shoulders to improve your running posture, get stronger and run longer.