Harri Angell - Pilates for Runners: Everything you need to start using Pilates to improve your running – get stronger, more flexible, avoid injury and improve your performance

Bloomsbury Sport

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This electronic edition published in 2017 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

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First published in 2017

Text Harri Angell, 2017

Photos by Grant Pritchard

Harri Angell has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as the Author of this work.

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ISBN: 978-1-4729-3800-8 (PB)
ISBN: 978-1-4729-3801-5 (eBook)
ISBN: 978-1-4729-3803-9 (ePDF)

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Contents

Introduction

This book is for anyone who runs.

Pilates can make a huge difference to your running form and help to keep you injury-free. Over time you will improve your strength, coordination, mobility, flexibility, breathing, balance and running posture no more rounded shoulders or collapsed gait as you head for the finish line.

I have seen so many clients benefit in all sorts of positive ways from regular Pilates classes. And my own running form, stamina and times changed immeasurably once I started practising and then teaching it. Now, as I get older, I know that because of Pilates I can keep running comfortably for a long time to come. And by practising Pilates only a few times a week, I promise that you will also feel the difference, and maybe even notice that your body shape changes too.

In I explain why Pilates is so beneficial for runners. This chapter will provide all the information needed to convince you to get started right away and to make this type of exercise part of your regular training. Whether you are male or female, a regular marathon runner, a Saturday morning parkrunner, a complete beginner or just contemplating taking up running, Pilates for Runners is all you need to get the most out of this wonderful, life-enhancing sport and to stay injury-free.

Youll also find a whole range of exercises in the book to suit all levels of fitness ability, but before attempting them please do read will give you the components needed to enable you to get the most out of your regular practice. And by applying some of the simple techniques outlined, you can begin to improve your posture before you even start exercising; you will notice a difference quite quickly.

Each of the exercises in this book starts with a brief explanation of the running benefits. I always need to know why Im doing an exercise to fully understand how it works so where possible there are explanatory notes. Not only will you learn how to perform the exercise, but also why you need to do it. This will give you added body awareness.

In 10 sessions you will feel the difference. In 20 you will see the difference. And in 30 you will have a whole new body.

Joseph Pilates

My intention is not to blind you with too much anatomy or biomechanical science, but to show you in the simplest, safest and most practical way how to execute the exercises in order to gain maximum benefit. If you feel discomfort, it goes without saying that you should stop you will recognize the difference between working muscles hard and something feeling not quite right. Listen to your body and work within your ability. Runners are prone to overdo their training, so take your time with the Pilates exercises, understand the reasoning behind them, follow the instructions and you cant go wrong.

In addition, throughout the book you will find motivating testimonials from all sorts of amazing runners beginners and elite, young and not so young who use Pilates as part of their training. Theres also informative advice from professionals who advocate Pilates for runners, and a chapter on overtraining and injuries. Plus youll find lots of inspirational quotes from the master himself, Joseph Pilates.

For too long there has been an air of mystery surrounding mat Pilates, or it has been thought of as an easy form of exercise only suitable for the elderly. My aim is to debunk these myths and to show you, the runner, that Pilates is a very precise and powerful fitness programme. Its actually quite magical! I look forward to encouraging more runners to give it a go, both men and women who until now havent considered it as a relevant cross-training programme. I hope that through this book you too can discover how wonderful and accessible good, basic Pilates can be. It wont just change your running, it will change how you feel about yourself, and even your life. So pass it on!

Good luck and happy, healthy running. Let me know how you get on.

CASE STUDY

Andrew Strauss OBE and his wife Ruth McDonald ran the Virgin London Marathon in 2013 for The Lords Taverners. Prior to that, Ruth had only ever run a 5k Race for Life, and Andrew had only run as a supplement to his cricket training. So once they reached the longer training runs their bodies began complaining, and they were advised to take up Pilates.

We started doing a Pilates session once a week and the difference it made to our bodies was evident and wonderful. We both became very aware of our strengths and weaknesses and were able to focus in on them during the session and we were given homework! Ruth suffered from hip, knee and ankle discomfort and through Pilates her hip alignment and core strength improved and we both really felt that the Pilates kept us injury-free throughout our training. Actually the whole Pilates experience was good, not only physically but also mentally in the build up to the marathon. Pilates is a great way of challenging the body to be supple, strong and coordinated and we would recommend it to everyone. The targeted our needs perfectly! Race day was incredible and we would both say that we enjoyed the process of getting to the race day as much as the race itself, but we couldnt have done it without the Pilates.