Football And Rugby

A growing number of top footballers and rugby players do Pilates as a way of improving co-ordination, mobility and flexibility, as well as for both recovering from injuries and preventing them in the first place.

In the quest for the winning edge, modern footballers and rugby players will latch on to any fitness technique that they believe will help them where it matters most - on the pitch. Both codes of rugby, in particular, exemplify this thinking, with Pilates exercises long incorporated into both preparation for matches and rehabilitation after injuries. The Welsh Rugby Union is among the high-profile advocates of Pilates.

Football managers such as Arsene Wenger of Arsenal, meanwhile, have long preached the crucial importance of stretching, suppleness and flexibility - the very things that Pilates does best. Indeed, Pilates exercises should be used more widely than they are in, for example, pre-match warm-up routines.

Both football and rugby can be physically gruelling, draining bodies that may already be fatigued. However, recent years have brought a growing willingness to look outside the sport for ideas, in particular to address the injury toll associated with over-training of certain muscle groups.

Weight training is an essential aspect of training for players of both sports; yet a body that has been bulked up in the gym can become rigid and restricted in its range of movement. The popular pec-deck machine, for example, may produce an impressive upper torso yet the movement required is unlike anything found on a sports field - or in everyday life, for that matter.

With both football and rugby demanding rapid directional changes often at near-maximum pace, an inflexible physique is unhelpful. Rugby forwards must also possess the ability to deliver controlled power from the unbalanced body positions adopted in the scrum. A Pilates programme can greatly improve general mobility and enhance core strength while easing the stress placed on the neck and spine during intense scrummaging.

Hamstring tears are also common in both sports and a properly tailored programme of Pilates, focusing on the stabiliser muscles of the pelvis (the buttocks and groin muscles), will help prevent them.

(via pilates-central)

Kees Meeuws - Professional Rugby Player

I am a professional rugby player and my performance is dependent on the condition of my body. Training with Susie Cleland at the Pilates Natural Fitness Studio has helped me maintain a high level of fitness and performance.

I utilise Pilates for both Pre-hab and re-habilitation, and I am convinced that my level of injuries has been reduced due to the work that I have done with Susie in building my core strength and stability. Pilates has helped me fix a persistent lower back injury by dramatically increasing my lower abdominal strength. My all round stability has improved as I have learnt to initiate from my abs. The result has been that I can play week in and week out with out experiencing the de-habilitating back pain that I used to. I think that all athlete’s and sports people can benefit from the increased core strength and initiation that Pilates teaches - and it’s a lot of fun, I’ve even got my wife doing it now and she loves it!

Xavier Rush - Captain, Blues Rugby Super 12 Team

When I first started doing Pilates I had a left shoulder-rotator cuff impingement. The work that I have done with Susie and Pilates has ensured that my shoulder has recovered to full strength. In addition to that I have gained increased core strength, stability and flexibility which have been important in maintaining a high level of performance for the Blues.

I am a strong supporter and believer in Pilates - I believe it can have a positive impact on Sports performance at the highest level, something that I have experienced myself

Mark Robinson, Professional Rugby Player

All my life I have been actively involved in sport. When I was younger I was a Surf Life saver. More recently I have played rugby (North Harbour / Blues) and league (Warriors) professionally as well as winning a number of caps for the All Blacks. For the next three years I will be playing rugby in the UK for Northampton. As a professional rugby player my two key focuses are

* Performance improvement
* Protecting my body from injury

As such I was introduced to Susie Cleland at the Pilates Natural Fitness Studio by my physiotherapist. I have worked with Susie for the last three years in order to:

* Strengthen my low core to stabilise my back
* Rehab back and knee injuries
* Pre-hab

I honestly believe that if I had not achieved so much working with Susie I would not be playing rugby today. Pilates has:

* Limited the magnitude and frequency of my back injuries
* Dramatically strengthened my core and increased my reflex time

(via www.pilates.co.nz)

und dann noch:
http://www.medic8.com/healthguide/articles/pilates.html