3 Reasons Why Male Pro Athletes Do Reformer Pilates

From Tom Brady, to Peyton Manning, Lebron James, and Kobe Bryant, Tiger Woods, and Cristiano Ronaldo, the list of pro athletes who do Reformer Pilates is long. They credit the mindful movement practice for helping them stay in shape and improve their performance on the field, rink, court, or course. 

Here are three reasons why so many pro athletes do Reformer Pilates. 

Reformer Pilates Builds Strength and Flexibility 

If you’ve ever done a mat or Reformer Pilates workout, then you know how challenging even just a few minutes of this practice can be. Pro athletes do Reformer Pilates because it is a full-body workout that builds serious strength, while also lengthening and increasing flexibility. 

Unlike other types of training, like weight lifting, that can shorten your muscles and leave you feeling tight or stiff, Pilates actually helps you increase your range of motion and improve the control you have over how your body moves. Professional athletes need to be in top-notch physical shape, but they also need to stay limber and mobile, making Reformer Pilates a perfect workout choice for them.

Reformer Pilates Helps Prevent Injury

Pilates as it is practiced today was originally created and designed by Joseph Pilates in the 1920s for men. It gained popularity among dancers who were recovering from physical injury, as well as actors and other celebrated performers, because the Pilates exercises emphasize proper alignment, control, and precision in movement.

Pilates exercises also support the engagement of the core and deep core muscles. The core plays a crucial role in posture and physical alignment, as well as any kind of intense physical performance. A weak core can cause back pain, impaired physical movement, and lead to injuries. Since professional athletes need to avoid and prevent injury at all costs, it makes sense that so many of them turn to Reformer Pilates to help them do so.

Reformer Pilates Helps Increase Mental Focus and Concentration

There’s a reason behind the mindful movement component of Pilates: Since the founder of Pilates, Joseph Pilates, believed physical and mental health were closely connected, his exercises were designed for both. Similar to some yoga practices, Pilates movements are powered by the breath and require an incredibly high level of focus and concentration to perform correctly. 

While to the untrained eye, some may think the small coordinated movements during a Pilates workout are easy and simple, pro athletes know the intense mental focus required to execute them correctly and gain the physical benefits of doing so. For professionals whose day job requires them to bring an extremely high level of focus to their work at all times, pro athletes understand the value of practicing this skill on a regular basis––another reason so many of them do Reformer Pilates.