A Pilates Teacher’s Guide To Training Athletes

Teaching athletes can be a bit nerve-wracking for any Pilates teacher. When they walk in, you might think, “Wow, this person is in amazing shape; how can I challenge them?” Don’t worry; we have strategies to help you. Read on to discover how to teach athletes with confidence.

Start with the Basics

One of the most important things to remember is that you don’t need to challenge your athletes right away. Just start with the basics, as you would with any new client. Our bodies need constant reminders to stay connected, and the fundamentals of Pilates provide what athletes need to improve at their sport and stay injury-free. By focusing on fundamental movements, you help build a strong foundation essential for any athletic performance.

The Power of Pilates for Athletes

Pilates is incredibly effective for athletes because it emphasizes core strength, flexibility, balance, and overall body awareness. These elements are essential for athletes, regardless of their sport. Pilates helps in:

Improving Core Strength: A strong core enhances stability and power, reducing the risk of injuries.

Enhancing Flexibility: Increased flexibility allows for a greater range of motion, which is beneficial for performance and injury prevention.

Boosting Balance and Coordination: Better balance and coordination translate to improved athletic performance.

Featured Workouts to Help Your Athletes Thrives

To help you get started, explore these featured workouts that highlight key elements athletes need to thrive:

Nicole’s Inner Athlete Series

Nicole Smith has years of experience working with professional athletes, and she designed this series to help you feel the key elements that benefit athletic endeavors. Each workout in this 9 class series targets one component of athletic ability and then brings it all together for full body integration. You’ll discover which layers of athleticism you need more of including: stability, mobility, agility, rotation, core engagement, transfer of power and push/pull.

Pilates for Pro Football

Tune in to see Nicole in action and watch NFL Philadelphia Eagles Defensive Tackle, Javon Hargrave, take on his 3rd workout of the day – Pilates! Nicole Smith guides him through a tough session designed to give him the stability he needs to sack QBs like Tom Brady while always remaining in balance himself. For NFL players there’s nothing more important than staying injury free so their bodies can withstand the punishment and that’s why he does Pilates and shared he will continue his Pilates practice for a lifetime.

Pilates and Sports: Endurance for Triathletes

Endurance athletes are a breed of their own! If you work with clients whose goals are to improve at a particular sport, this class is for you. Discover how to use Pilates to educate the movements that your athletes use in their sport. Working with Davide who is a triathlete, Gloria Gasperi shows her concept in action in how she trains him to use his body more efficiently for better endurance.

Workshop: Teaching Pilates to Athletes

In this workshop, Alisa Wyatt teaches you to use your own intuition and skills of observation to work with athletes of all levels to maximize their potential.  Learn ways to reduce injuries, build a neuromuscular map and balance movements.  Your athletes will thank you for their increased endurance and dexterity, improved movement patterns and faster reaction time.

Make sure to download the handout under WORKOUT RESOURCES!

Find all of our Teaching Athletes & Dancers videos here.