Most runners know that cross training with strength exercises and yoga stretches can be very beneficial to their running. What they may not know is that Pilates, a form of aerobic exercise combined with yoga-style poses, can make you a stronger, more efficient runner. Pilates focuses on building strength in your core muscles, which can help your running form. Better form leads to increased efficiency and in turn, better times.
The basic, mat-based Pilates workout can be done at home without any sophisticated equipment. Incorporating this workout two to three times per week will yield dramatic results in your core strength. In all of the following exercises it is important to concentrate on pulling your belly button and abdomen in (toward the mat) and up (toward your ribs) to maintain proper form. It is broken down into three exercise segments: front of body, back of body and side of body. This article contains selections from the front of body and back of body portions of the practice.
In the front of body segment there are:
Hundreds
Lay face up on the mat with your legs bent in to form right angles at both the hips and the knees, using your lower abs to stabilize. Using your abdominal muscles, gently lift your head and shoulders off the mat, reaching your arms down the sides of your body a couple inches off the mat. Pump your arms up and down quickly, keeping the motion small- no more than 6-8 inches of movement. If you want, you can time your breathing with your movement, for example, breathe in for four arm pumps and out for the next four. Continue until you’ve done one hundred arm pumps.
Roll Ups
Lay on the mat face up with your arms extended by your ears and your legs straight underneath you on the mat. Starting with your arms, slowly roll up, pulling your chin to your chest and making the letter “C” with your back. Roll up until you are seated and reaching over your legs, but do not straighten your back- keep the C curve at all times. Reverse the motion feeling each vertebra as it touches the mat until you have reached the starting position. Do 5-10 reps.
Single Leg Stretching and Circles
Lay on the mat face up. Keeping your left leg extended on the mat, hug your right leg into your chest. Extend right leg toward the ceiling and gently pull it toward your chest without allowing your right hip to leave the mat. Hold for a few seconds to stretch. Release the leg and keep it extended straight up, toward the ceiling. Without allowing movement in any other body part, move the right leg in a circle- across the mid line of the body, down toward the ground, keeping it a couple feet off the floor, out to the outside of the body, and back up toward the ceiling. Do 10-20 reps, reverse the circle and repeat, and then switch legs.
5 Part Stomach Series:
This series can be done with rest periods between exercises or with no rest, flowing from one exercise to the next.
Bent Single Leg
Lying face, curl your head and shoulders off the mat and hug both legs into your chest. Keeping your right leg in, extend the left directly below you, 6-8 inches off the mat. Making sure not to allow the legs to in or our of the hip line, switch legs, pulling your left in while extending your right. Do 20 reps.
Bent Double Leg
Lying face up, hug both legs into your chest and lift your head and shoulders off the mat. Keeping legs together, extend them straight out about a foot off the mat. At the same time, extend the arms down by your sides a couple inches off the mat. For a more advanced exercise, extend the arms by your ears to work the abdominals a little harder. Return to hug position. Do 3-5 reps.
Straight Single Leg
Lying face up, extend right leg toward the ceiling, left leg beneath you a few inches from the mat, curl head and shoulders off the mat and reach to grab the leg as high up as it is comfortable to reach. Gently pull right leg toward you doing a slight double pulse. Switch legs briskly and repeat with the left. Do 10-20 reps with each leg.
Straight Double Leg
Lying face up, extend both legs directly above your hips toward the ceiling, curl head and shoulders off the mat, and reach arms by your sides a couple inches from the mat. Lower the legs toward the mat, keeping them together and straight, until they are 1-2 feet from the mat. Hold for 3 seconds and contract your abs to bring them back to starting position. Do 3-5 reps.
Bicycle
Lying face up, hug both knees into your chest and curl your head and shoulders off the mat. Place your hands behind your head, elbows out, and while extending the left leg out, twist your body to reach your left shoulder toward your right knee. Switch to the left. Do around 20 reps with each leg.
In the back of body segment there are:
Swim
Lying face down, arms on the mat straight up by your ears, legs directly underneath you, reach right arm out and up, using your back to lift the arm and head and shoulders off the mat. Hold briefly, return to starting position, and repeat using the left arm. Do 10 reps.
Cobra
Lay face down with hands directly underneath shoulders on the mat. Starting with your head, extend your spine off the mat, eventually curling the head, neck, shoulders, and possibly even rib cage off the mat without putting any weight in your hands. Hold for a couple seconds at the top and slowly lower yourself back down. Do 5-10 reps.
Leg Beats
Lay face down with hands under your forehead, elbows out, and lift both legs together a few inches off the mat. Maintaining leg distance from the mat, swiftly separate legs a few inches apart and then bring them back together repeatedly. Continue for about 30 seconds.
Superman
Lay face down on the mat with arms extended by your ears and legs straight underneath you. Simultaneously lift arms, legs, head, and upper chest off the mat as high as you can. Hold for 5-10 seconds and release. Do 3-5 reps.
