Running core strength will help you to:

	Improve your overall physical condition and performance by strengthening your core.
	Stabilise your pelvis and give more range of motion and flexibility in the extremities.
	Stretch your hip flexor and hip extensor muscles
	Improve precision, posture and alignment.
	Develop a balanced body that helps you to keep your knees, ankles, hips and hamstrings as injury-free as possible. Good posture means a balanced pelvis, as well as feet and legs in alignment, which is a very important part of the gait cycle.
	Allow you to continue to keep fit during injuries.
	Prevent injuries by correcting imbalances in the body which can cause dysfunctional movement patterns.
	Rehabilitate after injury. Pilates is a perfect form of rehabilitation due to the attention paid to the allignment of the hips, knees and feet.

An important factor for runners is the synchronisation of breathing with movement. This is a vital part of Pilates, as when you breathe properly, you gain more stamina. Pilates is also good for runners because it includes stretching exercises for the hips, legs and back. Pilates will increase the range of motion with fluid movement, but most importantly for runners, Pilates will improve your flexibility without compromising your strength.

Several muscle groups are important in stabilising the spine, foot, and ankle during running. The quadrates lumborum stabilises the pelvis while the opposite leg is pulled backward in running. The hip abductors and adductors stabilise the hip and pelvis. The knee flexors and extensors stabilise the knee, while the muscles of the ankle and foot stabilise the foot and restrain excessive mobility of the foot. A specific Pilates exercise program will target all these muscles.

By restoring muscle balance, a Pilates program will protect the joints, and reduce strain on joint capsules and ligaments.

What is Pilates?

Pilates is a revolutionary full body conditioning program, which focuses on training the mind and body to work together more effectively and efficiently.

Pilates dramatically transforms the way the body looks, feels, and performs. It incorporates modern exercise science and rehabilitation principles, eliminating contraindicated movements while emphasizing neutral alignment, core stability and peripheral mobility. It builds strength without excess bulk, creating a sleek, toned body and a flat abdomen. It teaches body awareness and good posture. Pilates improves flexibility, agility and economy of motion, and is a safe form of movement making it optimal for clients that need to rehabilitate injuries.

Pilates exercises train several muscle groups at once in smooth, continuous movements. By developing proper technique, you can actually re-train your body to move in safer, more efficient patterns of motion - invaluable for injury recovery, good posture and optimal health. No other exercise system is so gentle to the body while giving it a challenging workout.

Injury Prevention using running core strength

Running is a great aerobic exercise, as it involves the whole body by strengthening the legs and firming the buttocks, stomach and upper body. It is an ideal weighty-bearing exercise as it helps to increase bone density in the skeleton, thus helping to avoid osteoporosis.

The most common injuries occur in the lower limbs (calves, ankles, Achilles tendon) and the lower back. The most common causes of such injuries are poor technique, uneven surfaces, muscle overuse, excessive training or incorrect footwear. Sciatica is a common complaint, with poor posture being one of its main causes.

Poor posture caused by weak abdominal muscles may not allow you to support your spine properly, and can cause back pain and have a negative effect on breathing. Because Pilates exercises encourage a long spine, the tall upright stance gives your lungs space to function with efficiency. Muscles that stabilise the back are found in the core, and awareness and recruitment of these muscles will allow increased range of motion in extremity joints as well as prevention of trauma around the spine.

Strengthening muscles near the knees, especially the quadriceps, is necessary because of shock attenuation and the medial and lateral stabilisers of the knee. Due to a lack of power of the muscles surrounding the knee joint, it is important to reduce the impact on foot contact. The stronger the surrounding muscles are, the more they will absorb shock and protect the knee.

What does running core strength offer?

We can offer one-on-one personal training sessions by fully qualified and insured instructors. These sessions can take place at your own home, or at a number of locations in your area. We also organise some group sessions that are open to members of the public.

Please contact us for more information.