Articles by Fran Perel of Parkland Pilates of Coral Springs

There is a strong positive connection between running and Pilates. Running shares many of the key underlying doctrines of the Pilates method. The key principles of Pilates are:

Runners should cross train and do Pilates most especially because it builds long, strong muscles, improves their flexibility and lessens their risk of injury. The way that Pilates opens up the vertebrae in the lower back, in particular, helps to prevent the sort of back injuries which can result from the constant impact of running. Good runners run tall. Their abdominal muscles are held tight, with the navel pulled back and slightly upward toward the spine to protect the back. This is much the same as the Pilates “scoop.” They don’t hunch, lean, push with their hips or tighten through the neck and shoulders. The shoulder placement (back and down), constant shoulder stabilization and lengthening the neck out of the shoulders are all key body placements learned in Pilates.

Good runners run with precision and attention to detail. The arms swing in an exact arc, and much like Pilates, their movement is precise and exact. Runners avoid pounding the ground with every stride. Their movements are fluid, smooth and light. There is both economy and integrity to their form. Instead of seeing a run as an excuse to zone out with their iPod, good runners pay attention. They see a run as an opportunity to develop their kinesthetic awareness. For example, they see it as a chance to explore the feel of their feet on the ground, how balanced their head is on their neck and spine, whether a mild ache in their leg has caused them to run more heavily than they wish, whether their ankles and knees are releasing in sequence and how their breathing patterns have changed as the work load becomes more demanding. This approach makes running is very much a mental activity as well as a physical one, much the same as Pilates.

Just as a student arrives at a Pilates class with an expectation that the session ahead will be a process of learning and discovery, so should a run be viewed as an act of creativity; staying present, responding intelligently to the situation and finding ways to achieve your goal. Every run is different – just like every Pilates class.

Fran Perel
Owner, Parkland Pilates
Certified Pilates Instructor
Runner since 1979

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