How to Use Pilates for Cross Training (And Why You Should)

Exercise is most effective when it becomes routine. You can’t just do cardio once and expect to have a dramatic weight loss, for instance. Nor is one session of strength training going to provide major gains in muscle strength or size. Instead, it takes repeated workout sessions to get significant (and lasting) results. 

One way to boost these results even more is with cross training. Cross training involves engaging in a variety of different types of exercise. What’s the value of taking this type of approach to training?

5 Reasons Why Cross Training is Important

Cross training offers athletes and non-athletes alike many benefits. Here are five reasons you may want to make cross training a regular event within your workout plan.

#1: It Boosts Muscular Strength and Endurance

Do the same type of exercise over and over again and the muscle worked will become so familiar with the movements that it may quit progressing. Conversely, if you change your method of training regularly—such as through cross training—the muscle is forced to continue to adapt. This adaptation results in greater gains in strength. It can also improve muscular endurance.

#2: It Reduces Muscle Imbalance Issues

Different types of training work different muscles. So, if you do the same thing over and over again, you risk building up one muscle without also building the opposing muscle. You want to work the triceps if you work your biceps, for example. And if you build your quads, you also need to strengthen the hamstrings. If you don’t, this can lead to a muscle imbalance. Engaging in cross training fixes this. It increases the likelihood that you’ll hit all of the muscle groups, reducing imbalance issues. 

#3: It Can Improve Athletic Performance

One review of the research reports that cross training can improve the skills of rugby players. (1) Another study found that high school cross country runners performed better after adding cycling to their training routine. (2) Thus, varying exercise methods is one way to boost an athlete’s performance. It helps the athlete do better during training and active play.

#4: It Aids in Injury Prevention

Research has found that cross training can help reduce injury risk. Specifically, it can reduce injuries that are common within a specific sport. (3) Another study indicates that, although large joint motions generally pose a risk for wheelchair athletes, subjects were able to perform these movements without pain when following a cross training approach. (4) Exercise variation can also help prevent overuse injuries. It gives a particular muscle or muscle group time to recover even if you don’t take a day off from the gym.

#5: It Keeps Exercise from Getting Monotonous

Doing the same type of cardio every day can get boring. The same is true if you never change your resistance training routine. What happens when boredom sets in? It becomes easier to quit working out altogether. Cross training keeps an exercise plan from getting monotonous. Maybe you do hot yoga one day and a barre class the next. This keeps your mind as stimulated as your body. It makes exercise more fun.

Benefits of Using Pilates for Cross Training

Even if you’re sold on the benefits of cross training, you may be wondering why you should include Pilates exercise. That’s a good question. Here are a few answers.

• Pilates is low impact. This helps balance out higher-impact activities. It also reduces the strain on the muscles and joints. This reduced strain can lower injury risk. This makes it helpful for exercisers who have pain in their hips and knees, or their other joints.

• Pilates works the deep core muscles. Another benefit of Pilates is that it focuses primarily on building core strength. Stronger core muscles make it easier to engage in other forms of exercise. They also help when performing everyday activities such as lifting a laundry basket or carrying groceries.

• Pilates supports a healthy posture. The stronger your core, the better your posture. The muscles in your stomach and back are better able to support your spine. With good posture comes greater confidence. Research also connects a healthy posture with reduced back pain. (5)

• Pilates promotes relaxation. Like yoga, Pilates involves doing movements with slow control. It also uses specific breathing patterns while increasing body awareness. This makes a Pilates practice as good for the mind as it is for the body. 

• Pilates requires minimal equipment. Yes, some exercises are performed on a Pilates reformer. But many require nothing more than a Pilates mat. So, you can do these cross training exercises pretty much anywhere. All you need is a cushioned floor covering and you’re ready to go. There is no need to purchase expensive Pilates equipment.

How to Add Pilates to Your Current Exercise Routine

New Pilates practitioners can benefit from some pre-exercise instruction. Ideally, this instruction is provided by a fitness instructor who specializes in Pilates training. Alternatively, there are several online videos and tutorials that teach the art of Pilates. Some to start with are those that cover classical Pilates exercises, such as the hundred, the roll up, and the roll over.

Next, incorporate Pilates once a week into the current routine. This helps the client get used to the movements and begin to master proper form. Pilates can be added as a stand-alone workout. Another option is to incorporate Pilates exercises within the current training routine. 

If adding it to a cardio exercise, doing Pilates after ensures that the muscles are warmed up. Since Pilates promotes relaxation, it’s also a great way to wind up an intense cardio session. If adding it to a strength training routine, you may want to do Pilates on a different day. This helps prevent overtraining the muscles Pilates works, namely those surrounding the abs and core. 

Tips for a More Effective Pilates Workout

To make the Pilates workout as effective as possible, the movements should be performed slowly and with control. Trying to move too quickly makes it harder to activate the target muscles. It also increases injury risk because you’re paying less attention to form.

In some cases, it may be necessary to modify certain Pilates exercises. For example, toward the end of pregnancy, it’s recommended to not do spend too much time in a supine position (lying on the back). Since many reformer Pilates movements use this position, it may make mat exercises more preferential when exercising during pregnancy, especially in the later stages. Lack of flexibility, poor core strength, and injury can all be reasons to modify a Pilates exercise.

Finally, when performing Pilates as part of a cross training workout, it’s important to listen to your body. If a movement causes pain or discomfort, it should be avoided. While some tension is normal, pain is not. Sometimes a slight change in position can relieve this pain. If it doesn’t, stop the exercise and move on to another one. 

As a trainer, you can help your clients incorporate Pilates into their training routine, providing them with all of these benefits. If you want to become a Pilates instructor for a group, ISSA offers Group Exercise Instructor certification. This course teaches you how to effectively lead a Pilates class. You’ll also learn how to get clients into proper alignment within a group setting.

References

1. Vaz, L., Abade, E., Fernandes, M. H., & Reis, M. V. (2013). Cross-training in rugby: A review of research and practical suggestions. International Journal of Performance Analysis in Sport, 13(1), 225–237. https://doi.org/10.1080/24748668.2013.11868644 

2. Paquette, M. R., Peel, S. A., Smith, R. E., Temme, M., & Dwyer, J. N. (2018). The impact of different cross-training modalities on performance and injury-related variables in high school cross country runners. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 32(6), 1745–1753. https://doi.org/10.1519/jsc.0000000000002042 

3. Baker, B., Lapierre, S., & Tanaka, H. (2018). Role of cross-training in orthopaedic injuries and healthcare burden in masters swimmers. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 40(01), 52–56. https://doi.org/10.1055/a-0759-2063 

4. Jones, C., Schnorenberg, A. J., Garlanger, K., Leonardis, J. M., Kortes, S., Riebe, J., Plesnik, J., Lee, K., & Slavens, B. A. (2021). Biomechanical analysis of wheelchair athletes with paraplegia during cross-training exercises. The Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine, 45(6), 882–897. https://doi.org/10.1080/10790268.2021.1928868 

5. Noll, M., Tarragô Candotti, C., Vieira, A., & Fagundes Loss, J. (2012). Back pain and Body Posture Evaluation Instrument (BackPEI): Development, content validation and reproducibility. International Journal of Public Health, 58(4), 565–572. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-012-0434-1