Pilates in Your Training: A Season Plan for Athletes

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January, off-season. A high school baseball team swaps one weight-room day for the mat: bridges, side-lying leg work, slow roll-downs, the hundred, and a lot of shaking in places the guys didn’t know they had muscles. Pilates has found its way into athletes’ weeks at every level, from youth programs and college training rooms to runners and pickleball players doing a studio class on Saturday. Done well, it’s a way to train the trunk and hips with control, breathing and precision. Done badly, it’s just another tiring class in a week that’s already full. This page shows how athletes add Pilates across a season, sample routines by sport type, and what the research on core and hip stability really says.

General information, not medical or coaching advice. If you’re injured or managing a condition, check with your doctor, physical therapist or athletic trainer first, and read Pilates injuries & safety. Back to the Pilates for athletes hub.

What the research says about Pilates for athletes

The studies are encouraging, mostly small, and worth reading with care:

• Runners: in a trial of 32 trained runners, the group that did 12 weeks of Pilates improved its 5-km time from about 25.7 to 23.2 minutes, compared with about 25.3 to 24.6 in the control group, and ran with a lower energy cost. In another study, 40 recreational runners improved their scores on a modified movement screen after a 6-week clinical Pilates course.
• Soccer players with unstable ankles: in 51 college players with chronic ankle instability, 6 weeks of Pilates and 6 weeks of traditional balance training both improved symptoms and function; Pilates did better on a triple-hop test, balance training on a reach test. The authors’ takeaway: train ankle strength, balance and core together.
• Young baseball players: two small Korean studies (8 players in one, without control groups) found gains in trunk and knee strength measures and in the hamstring-to-quadriceps ratio after 8 weeks of reformer and Cadillac work, 3 sessions a week.
• Adult women in general: a 2026 meta-analysis of 12 studies (about 540 women) found better sit-and-reach flexibility after Pilates programs, but no pooled effect on handgrip strength or vertical jump.

And on the big claim, that a stronger core prevents injuries: a review in Sports Health found that definitive evidence linking core instability to injury is lacking, but that multi-part prevention programs that include core stabilization appear to reduce lower-extremity injury rates. In other words, Pilates fits best as one part of a program with strength, landing, balance and sport-specific work, like the FIFA 11+ warm-up described on our soccer injuries page. It doesn’t replace heavy lifting, sprinting or practice.

Mat or reformer?

Mat Pilates uses body weight and small props (a ring, bands, a small ball). It costs little, travels anywhere and fits a team setting. Reformer and other equipment (Cadillac, chair) add spring resistance and support: you can load the legs in footwork, do single-leg work with help, and scale exercises up or down with springs. Many athletes start on the mat, then add a reformer class once a week if they have a studio nearby. A teacher who works with athletes is worth more than the equipment.

Pilates across the season

Treat these as practical starting points, not rules from a study. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends neuromotor work (balance, coordination, agility) 2 to 3 days a week for adults, which is a reasonable frame for how often Pilates-style control work shows up.

Phase	How often	Session	Focus
Off-season	2–3 times a week	45–60 min mat or reformer	Learn the basics, build trunk and hip endurance, fix side-to-side differences
Preseason	1–2 times a week	30–45 min	Single-leg control, rotation control, keep it away from the hardest conditioning days
In-season	1 time a week, plus short warm-up pieces	15–30 min	Maintenance; light day, not the day before a game
Postseason	As you like	Any class you enjoy	Active rest, rehab with your PT if needed

Sample routines by sport type

Each is about 20 to 25 minutes on a mat, 8 to 10 slow reps a side unless noted. Practical examples, not a prescription.

Field and court sports (soccer, basketball, volleyball, lacrosse)

Shoulder bridge with a single-leg march; side-lying leg series (front/back, up/down, small circles); clam with a loop band; single-leg stretch; side plank or side kick kneeling; swimming (face down, opposite arm and leg); standing single-leg balance with eyes forward. The aim: hips that control the knee on landings and cuts.

Running and endurance (running, cycling, triathlon, rowing)

Pelvic curl; single-leg circles; side-lying leg series; swan prep (gentle back extension); leg pull front (plank with leg lifts); spine twist sitting tall; saw. Endurance athletes often spend hours rounded forward on a bike or oar, so this mix leans on extension and rotation. See also running training.

Rotational and throwing sports (baseball, softball, golf, tennis, pickleball)

Dead-bug style toe taps; criss-cross slowly with control; spine twist; side plank with reach-under; mermaid (side bend); a resistance band for shoulder external rotation and rows; bridge with a ring squeezed between the knees. The goal is to control rotation through the hips and upper back so the low back and throwing shoulder don’t carry it all.

Contact and strength sports (football, rugby, wrestling, lifting)

Hundred with the head down if the neck tires; leg pull front and back; side kick kneeling; shoulder bridge; swimming; slow roll-downs standing against a wall. For big, stiff athletes, the win is usually control in positions they never visit: deep hip flexion, thoracic rotation, single-leg balance.

Breathing and the “powerhouse”

Pilates teaches breathing into the sides and back of the ribs while the deep abdominals stay engaged, timed with the movement. Athletes often find it carries over to bracing under load and to staying calm. Keep it practical: breathe out on the effort, keep the ribs from flaring, never hold your breath through a whole set. The research on slow breathing and heart rate variability is covered on our HRV for athletes page.

Small props that do a lot

A Pilates ring like the Gaiam Pilates Ring adds resistance between the knees, ankles or hands; a long-band kit such as the THERABAND Beginner Kit covers shoulder and footwork-style drills at home; Fit Simplify loop bands make clams and bridges harder; and a dense mat like the Manduka PRO protects the spine in rolling work. More in our resistance bands guide.

Making it work

• Put it on an easy day or after practice, not right before sprints or max lifts.
• Quality first. If you can’t keep the pelvis still, make it easier: smaller range, bent knees, head down.
• Track side-to-side differences, especially after an injury, and share them with your PT or AT.
• Young athletes can do mat Pilates with a qualified coach; keep it fun and about control, not volume. More on Pilates for young athletes.
• Pair it with recovery. A gentle mat session can double as an active recovery day: see Pilates for recovery. For a mind-body session with more stretching and breathing, see yoga in your training.

Pilates training: FAQs

How often should athletes do Pilates?

Two to three times a week in the off-season and about once a week in-season is a common pattern. The studies above mostly used 2 to 3 sessions a week for 6 to 12 weeks. Fit it around your sport, not on top of your hardest days.

Does Pilates prevent sports injuries?

Not on its own, as far as research shows. Direct proof that core weakness causes injuries is lacking, but prevention programs that include core stability work appear to reduce lower-limb injuries. Use Pilates as one part of a program with strength and landing work.

Can Pilates replace strength training?

For most athletes, no. A 2026 review in adult women found no pooled effect on grip strength or vertical jump. Pilates complements heavy lifting and power work by training control and trunk endurance.

Is mat or reformer Pilates better for athletes?

Both work. Mat is cheap and portable; the reformer adds spring resistance and support for leg and single-leg work. Studies in athletes used both. Choose by access, budget and a good teacher.

Can Pilates make me a faster runner?

One trial of 32 trained runners found a faster 5-km time and a lower energy cost after 12 weeks of Pilates compared with a control group. It’s a single small study, so treat Pilates as a helpful extra next to your running, not a shortcut.