Pilates is a form of overall strength and conditioning used in the development of strong core muscles also focusing on breathing, balance, and range of motion. Pilates helps increase joint stability and strengthens deep core muscles as a result leading to injury prevention and improved athletic performance. Even the most basic Pilates exercises can be incorporated into a regular sports-conditioning or fitness regimen such as in a warm up or as a means of working on (neuromuscular) coordination. Pilates focuses on deeper muscle groups or local stabilizers. These muscles are key when controlling joint movement and maintaining joint stability. Pilates starts training the joints at lower loads and then slowly progresses to strengthening eccentrically (when the muscle fibres lengthen) which will in turn help control the deceleration movements. All of these qualities make the relationship between Pilates and skating ideal.
Most sports require both mental and physical skill. Pilates allows for the training of both, mental and physical, by requiring a certain level of mental awareness of what the body is doing. Training the mind to be aware of what the body is doing while physically training the body and its muscles will then translate into a mental awareness of the body’s movements during sports performance such as skating. When skating a certain amount of lower body strength is required. Balance is also necessary so a certain amount of core strength is required. Upper body strength is not as crucial when skating unless skating is part of a sport. i.e. hockey, speed skating, figure skating, ringette etc.
Muscles used in skating
Muscles used when skating are the muscles in the lower body, specifically the calves (gastrocnemius and soleus) and front of the shins (tibialis anterior) to move the ankle joint during the push-off and gliding phases of skating.
Quadriceps and hamstrings to extend and flex the knee, respectively, during the push off and gliding movements when skating the gluteus maximus to help extend the hip joint, abductors and gluteus medius to move the leg away from the body (abducting the leg) and external rotators muscles to help turn the leg and kneecap outwards. These are all movements that are commonly used when skating.
Abdominal muscles help keep the trunk of the body stable, helping maintain balance, while the lower part of the body is working. All these muscle groups can be strengthened through a combination of Pilates exercises on the reformer and mat making skating more enjoyable.
Certified Stott instructor. Experience with teching, instructing, owning a Pilates studio and meeting people and postures.