The long standing popularity and prestige of the annual London Marathon and the huge success of the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics has seen a notable rise in the number of running clubs and people taking up running. The emergence of world class British triathletes such as the Brownlee brothers, and Non Stanford’s recent win in the ITU World Triathlon women’s title in London last month has undoubtedly boosted the interest in triathlons too. The increase of charity places in fun runs and half marathons such as The Great North Run, The Royal Parks Half Marathon and Run to the Beat, has encouraged more people to take their running and training programmes more seriously.

Earlier this year I had the pleasure of teaching a ‘Pilates for Runners’ class in Battersea. Two of the clients in the class successfully ran their first London Marathon. I was so pleased when both told me afterwards that they credited their practice of Pilates in helping them prepare for and complete their challenge safely.

You don’t need to join a designated Pilates for Runners class to gain all of the below benefits, unless, of course, you want to meet other runners and share running tips and experiences. Quite a few clients of mine enjoy running as a way of staying healthy and fit and they attend my regular Pilates classes.

How Pilates can help.

The constant, high impact nature of running puts a great deal of stress on the spine, back and lower joints of the body. With its repetitive motion, muscular imbalances can quickly develop, which not only increase the potential for injury – every runner’s nightmare – but can also cause faster wear and tear on the muscular-skeletal structure. Runners build great strength in their legs but will usually have muscular weaknesses elsewhere in their bodies. These weaknesses can cause serious, long term problems if not addressed early on. Runners tend to be quite quad-centric with tight calf muscles, hip flexors and IT Bands, all of which can impair performance and/or create discomfort and eventually pain. I recommend to all my ‘running’ clients to alternate high intensity routines with a wide variety of exercises, in order to optimise fitness and prevent injury.

Many athletes combine running with cross-training for several reasons; to gain a competitive edge, improve personal bests, stay injury free or like some of my existing clients, to simply enjoy their running more. Whether you’re a weekend runner or training for a half or full marathon, Pilates will complement your running programme. As Pilates is low impact and kind on joints, it’s ideal body conditioning work to do on those necessary, non-running days.

The exercises are performed in a variety of positions; side-lying, semi supine, prone etc… This works all aspects of the body, allowing you to identify and improve weak areas. Crucially, it takes the body through different planes of movement; particularly important when you consider that in running, the body is only moving in the sagittal plane. We need to challenge and strengthen the muscles that aid movement in the horizontal and frontal planes.

Pilates strengthens the muscles of the torso and the stabilising muscles around the pelvis, spine and ribs, allowing you to maintain better alignment of the whole body when running. The Side-lying Leg Series for example, contains a series of exercises designed to strengthen the hamstrings, abductors (outer thighs), adductors (inner thighs) and gluteal muscles, balancing the musculature of the legs.

Delaying the onset of fatigue is particularly vital for long distance runners. If you are looking to improve overall stamina and endurance, Pilates will also help strengthen muscles that are not used specifically for running, allowing you to run greater distances more comfortably and safely.

At peak performance a runner can display incredible fluidity. Remember the ease of Mo Farah’s sprint to the finishing line when he won the 10,000 metres in front of a home crowd in the Olympic stadium last year? We aim for finesse in how we move in Pilates. By practising the method you’ll be increasing flexibility safely, helping you to achieve economy of movement, without loss of energy.

Correct breathing is a key principle in Pilates. Many of my clients have tight chests and upper backs, often from working long hours hunched over their computers. I actively encourage them to appreciate how good breathing patterns can provide more support for their bodies. Lateral breathing in Pilates specifically engages the intercostal muscles, opening up the ribcage and upper back for deeper and more efficient breathing; releasing tension and improving circulation. Runners who integrate Pilates into their training often find their lung capacity improves, muscles are more relaxed, and they feel less constricted in the upper torso.

All runners want to stay on the road or treadmill injury free and strong. Pilates will support you in that, whilst providing a stimulating and highly varied workout to complement your training, enhance performance, and help you achieve your running goals.

Inspired to take up running?

The original Couch-to-5k Running Plan by Cool Running has helped many runners safely train for fun runs and half marathons.