Kristian Solem

By now you can probably tell that I think Pilates is a good thing. Some of my friends even say that I "drank the cool aid." Of course I understand that for Pilates to work for someone it has to be the sort of thing they enjoy and get satisfaction from doing. Also, the synergy between an athlete and a trainer in terms of goals, personality, comfort level, etc., is very important. But the fact is that no matter how hard I try I cannot think of a sport or activity where a person would not improve their performance by adding Pilates to their routine.

So I have written a bit about five sports I have personal experience doing. If you have been thinking about taking up Pilates, but the sport you love is not on my short list please feel free to contact me anyway. We can discuss your activities and goals, and if I am not the right trainer for you perhaps I can help you find someone who is. I believe that what goes around comes around, and I know how important it is that people who want to take up Pilates find the right teacher. If that teacher is me that's nice too, but if not then perhaps I can help send you in a good direction.

I am also curious to talk to people who do sports and use Pilates as part of their training routine. I would love to hear your experiences and stories."

Many of the things we learn and strengths we develop through Pilates will benefit the cyclist. You don’t have to take my word for it though, just check in with Lance Armstrong, who incorporates Pilates work into his training, and features Pilates as a recommended fitness method on his Livestrong website.

My first serious sport was long distance cycling. I was fortunate to meet a coach in New York City who understood the importance of posture both on and off the bike, and stretching following long hard rides. With his guidance I was able to avoid the lower back soreness which troubles many riders. A cyclist spends hours at a time in a position called spinal flexion: the lower back is rounded as the body leans forward. As a rider tires, I often see abdominal support for the lower back fade, more weight coming onto the arms as the chest sags forward, and the neck unnaturally extended to hold up the head. In the extreme, this breakdown can lead to chronic back pain. The good news is that a cyclist who is a Pilates athlete will have the body awareness and core strength to counteract this trend even as they tire. And they will have the tools and techniques to get their body back into a healthy neutral alignment after even the toughest events.

Another aspect of the core stability developed through Pilates is the ability to flex and extend the legs from the hips without destabilizing the lower back. This disassociation of movement of the leg from movement in the pelvis and lower back is powerful stuff on a bike. It is this kind of core control and strength which enables an elite rider to blast uphill without the bike wobbling all over the place. Keeping the bike quiet means all of the energy generated by the rider goes into propulsion with minimal strain on the lower back as well.

One more thing: A bike is a machine and it’s rider is not. This means the bike needs to be adjusted and fit to the rider – not the other way around. Many common aches and pains experienced by cyclists are due to how their ride is set up. Even if you are comfortable on your bike right now, if you turn up the volume in mileage or speed and feel discomfort get an expert to look at and adjust your bike.