Pilates Exercises To Do After A Run

After a long run, there’s nothing like a great stretch to relieve the inevitable tightness. I’ve been regularly running 10kms, half marathons, and marathons, along with trail running, for about fifteen years now, and these are my favourite Pilates exercises to do after a run. 

No More Hobbling Around

When I first started running more seriously with a goal in mind, I really had no idea what kind of pace I should be running. I definitely ran way too fast during my longer weekend runs. This led to incredible tightness that had me hobbling around, and the simplest of tasks like walking up stairs was difficult. Each weekend left me feeling like I’d run a race! 

Over the years, I’ve learned to keep a slower pace for my longer runs, which helps. However, the longer distances you go, the more impact on your body. This is why runners often feel tightness in their feet, calves, hamstrings, hips, and lower backs. Pilates is here to help!

Top 5 Pilates Exercises To Do After a Run

If you have access to a reformer, these are my favourite Pilates exercises to do after a run. They will help alleviate the tightness and other aches and pains. 

1. The Footwork. The first series of exercises that you do in a reformer workout is the footwork. These exercises will help to release tight spots in your feet and stretch both the bottom and top of your feet. You will also stretch your calves, open up your hips, and strengthen your hamstrings, glutes, and core muscles. 

How to do it: Laying on the reformer, place your toes on the footbar with heels together. Press the carriage out and in ten times. Next, position your mid foot on the footbar, wrapping your foot around it (we often call this bird on a perch). Then press out and in ten times. In the third position, you place the heels on the bar keeping them straight up and down as if you were standing your feet on a wall. Again, press the carriage open and closed ten times. Finally, place your toes back on the bar, press open so that your legs are straight, and then lower and lift your heels below the bar and back up to your tippy toes ten times. 

2. The Stomach Massage Series. This series gives a great stretch down the back line of the body. This includes the feet, calves, hamstrings, and back, particularly the lower back. You also get a great chest stretch in the second exercise.

How to do it: This series of exercises has you sitting near the front end of the reformer carriage, usually on a small rubber mat, and using 4 springs. Place your feet on the footbar in your Pilates V and round your spine into an elongated C curve. Hold the front of the carriage and proceed to press the carriage open, lower lift the heels, and close the carriage back in ten times. Next, you will remain in the same position (3 springs). Take your hands back to the shoulder blocks, opening up the chest and reaching the sternum upwards. Press the carriage open, lower lift the heels, and close in ten times. For the third exercise, you move into a tall back (2 springs). Reach your arms forward, palms down, and press the carriage out and in, maintaining a slight high heel foot position. Work towards finding more lift and length in the spine, doing this movement five times, Finally, you remain tall with the high heeled foot. As you press the carriage open, rotate your spine three times each side.   

3. Tree on the Short Box. This set of exercises will give you a nice hamstring stretch, full back stretch, and add movement and mobility in the knee joints, 

How to do it: The tree gets you up on the short box with one foot hooked under the strap at the front of the reformer. Bend and lengthen the other leg while you sit tall, your hands pressed firmly onto the back of your leg. Point and flex your foot five times, then do foot circles, and finally climb your hands up to the ankle, rounding your spine into a C curve. Then walk your hands down your leg as you lower your body down into the well behind you. Finally, use your abs and hands to climb back up toward the ankle. Repeat on the other side. 

4. Elephant. This is a great core workout, but you’ll also feel an amazing stretch through the back line of your body. 

How to do it: Place your heels against the shoulder blocks with straight legs and your hands on the foot bar. Press down into your heels to open the carriage a couple of inches, and work to curl your tailbone under.

5. Kneeling Front Split or Scooter Stretch. Both versions of this exercise give you an amazing hip flexor stretch, while the kneeling front split also offers a hamstring stretch. You don’t have to be a runner to love this one. It’s loved by all, particularly those who have jobs that require a fair amount of sitting throughout the day.  Opening up the hips and getting that stretch can be a great help in releasing low back pain.

How to do it: This final favourite has you either standing one foot on the floor beside the reformer and pressing the carriage open with your other foot, or you have one foot and your hands on the footbar while your other foot presses into the shoulder block to open the carriage.  

The reformer is my go-to for doing Pilates after a run because the extra resistance from the springs feels oh-so-good. If you don’t have a reformer or attend a studio that does, there is still a great range of similar exercises on the mat or other apparatuses that will get the same effect.