Pilates and Soccer Conditioning

Soccer is among the most physically demanding games. Strength, endurance, speed and agility. Soccer requires all of these attributes.

To improve, players need a soccer training program that will produce the greatest results in the most efficient amount of time. With its focus on core strength, flexibility, stability and balance, Pilates is a great tool for soccer conditioning. It can improve a player's performance and help prevent the types of injuries that plague soccer players.

Benefits of the Pilates for Soccer Conditioning Program

• Builds core strength for improved efficiency and endurance
• Builds long lean muscles for strength without added bulk
• Increases flexibility and range of motion
• Restores Natural Posture and alignment of the body
• Improves stability and balance
• Corrects imbalances in the body reducing the risk of injury
• Increases stamina and endurance through proper breathing techniques
• Builds upper body strength without adding bulk

Soccer managers such as Arsene Wenger of Arsenal have long preached the crucial importance of stretching, suppleness and flexibility – the very things that Pilates does best. A growing number of top soccer 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.

"...an hour of Pilates a day ... and fitness-wise I am the best I have been for a long time."
David Beckham, Professional Soccer Player

David Beckham was introduced to Pilates while at AC Milan. Beckham says that he does "an hour of Pilates a day ... and fitness-wise I am the best I have been for a long time." After incorporating Pilates into his soccer conditioning program, Beckham's total body fat dropped from 13.7 percent to 8.5 percent.

The Pilates for Soccer Conditioning Program

Mary's Pilates for Soccer Conditioning Program begins with an individualized session to assess the soccer player's movement including postural alignment, flexibility, coordination, strength and balance as well as to evaluate any injuries, performance goals or other special considerations.

While some of the exercises and stretches may be familiar it is an understanding of the underlying Pilates techniques that makes them so effective. Intense core training helps improve running efficiency, breathing and endurance. ther exercises will enhance a player's range of motion in the hips and legs, improve posture through spinal alignment and reduce the risk of injury through relief of tight muscles and muscle imbalances. Specific Pilates exercises can also be used to help the soccer player recover more quickly from injury.