Written by Sonia
Ever wondered who Pilates was ‘made’ for? Or perhaps whether it suits men’s strength training? Sonia talks us through it all!
Men and Pilates – a great match!
It’s no secret that naturally I love Pilates and am totally passionate about the program that I teach and live by every day. It has taught me, personally so much. I know Pilates can benefit people of all ages and fitness levels.
Myth busting
Many people think of Pilates as an ‘easy’ mode of exercise or a ‘gentle’ workout or at worst ‘like watching the paint dry’ that is more for old ladies than it is for fit, strong men.
As a Pilates trainer, I have taught a wide variety of clients, from 10 to 85. I work with people from all works of life – kids with sore knees, mums, our beautiful seniors, men in their middle years, an All Black. While women of varying ages dominate our clientele, more and more males find their way into our studio. We have more than a scattering through our mat classes (in one class the male numbers are close to matching the female). In the main, the ‘boys’ love the studio environment where the beauties of the Pilates studio (Pilates equipment) call home.
One thing is definite – Pilates is good for men!
What you may not realise, is that Pilates was created by a man for men. Joseph Pilates himself practiced his method and trained many males. He worked with German soldiers and helped many of them recover and rehabilitate from injuries during World War 1.
Men I believe are slightly intimidated or not interested in Pilates because time is limited so better to work on those big muscles we all know about rather than the ones we’ve never heard of. Those Pilates girls also make it look so easy and smooth, yet men aren’t as flexible or graceful.
The ‘men’ in our studio vary from mid 20’s (rugby player) to mid 70’s (back issues and injuries) and many in the years between. We see a lot of men in a private session, where we can focus on their specific issues or goals.
How Pilates benefits men and sports
What we know – swimmers will be better if they use their core, the better runners have stable hips and glutes and can train harder without injury, and there is cycling power in a strong core. Pilates helps with all this and more, and so often the first conscious breath a man might take all day is in his Pilates session.
Hear it from a male himself!
If you doubt me, which is understandable because I have a slightly biased opinion, listen to what a fellow male has to say –
“Pilates can be VERY challenging. It is a great workout that will benefit the other types of exercise that you do. It is not like any other exercise program you might have participated in before. I can guarantee you will be challenged, stimulated and leave feeling way better than when you arrived.”
Sonia
