What You Don’t Know About Fitness Might Hurt You

I was running with my run club recently, and along the way there were lots of conversations about the other types of fitness done outside of running. Of course, we talked about running too (runners like to run!), and Pilates came up. Something that became obvious to me along the way was that no, not everyone has had thirty years of fitness training like I do – and most people don’t understand all the things about fitness that are now second nature to me. Unfortunately, not knowing what you don’t know might lead to an injury.

Everyone’s an Expert at Something

I’ve often said how grateful I am for my accountant, because it’s something I would never want to attempt. Thank goodness for the work they do! Just like my accountant doesn’t expect me to hand her perfectly balanced rows of numbers, I can’t expect my clients to come into the studio as Pilates or fitness experts. It’s taken me decades of practice, training, and teaching to build my body of knowledge – something I still continue to do. 

It really got me thinking as I was listening to the conversations, especially to one woman’s story. Oh, how I wanted to jump in with some tips (I didn’t), but it made me more aware of how fitness can be so confusing. With social media, tons of fitness options, and new studios opening up all the time, it is overwhelming to sort it all out. So let’s set some things straight.

What I Wanted to Tell Her

This one runner shared her goal of running a half marathon every year, her experience with Pilates, and her drop-in fitness routines. As a busy mom who works full time, I was impressed at all she manages to fit in. I saw a bit of me in her as well, back when I didn’t know as much about balanced training and what Pilates could do to improve my other fitness loves, like running. Here are some things I wish I could have shared with her. 

I Love Cardio Too. She shared that she tried doing Pilates with a friend, but she didn’t feel like she got enough out of it. She likes to get her heart rate up with a good run, HIIT class, or by using the jump board in Pilates.  I totally understood what she meant – from my teens into my early 30’s, I loved high-impact, heart pumping workouts. It was after my three pregnancies and carrying my children around that I started to get injuries.  

Cardio is an important part of a balanced exercise routine, but repetitive movements like running, cycling, and others can cause imbalances that often lead to injuries. I wished I could tell her that Pilates is meant to train awareness, control, balance, mobility and flexibility, strengthen imbalances, and is a compliment to running, lifting, HIIT, etc. 

Consistency Matters. While talking about her marathon training, this runner mentioned that she usually only is able to train in the summer and then runs a race in the fall. Unfortunately, she hadn’t trained much before her last race, and she pushed hard to keep to her best time. She also mentioned how she typically only does drop in classes, but goes to a variety of gyms and studios, including crossfit. 

I’m all for variety! Unfortunately, inconsistent training – like with a ton of different instructors, or stopping and then jumping back in full speed – can lead to injuries, too. This person happened to have recently injured her hamstring in one of these classes. I wasn’t there, so I don’t know what happened. It could have been poor form, too much weight, or an imbalance that was building up over time. There are lots of other reasons it could have happened, too.

I wish I could have told her that  it is very important in all of the things we do, building up to a higher intensity, heavier lifts, faster or longer runs, and more complex exercises should be done over time. Is it fun to do intense or fancy moves? It sure is, but it’s important to have a solid foundation first. Less can, in fact, be so much more!

Pilates Complements All You Do. She did mention that she quit Pilates because of her hamstring injury. The truth is that Pilates  is safe and the perfect way to help you “rehab” an injury. You’ll want to do small group classes or private lessons so your injury can be supported, and a fully equipped studio will have lots of options to accommodate you while you heal and build you back up as you’re ready. 

I wish I could have told her that Pilates includes strength, mobility, flexibility, and low-intensity cardio. These are the things that will support her running and in all the other activities she likes to do. 

Keep Learning!

Like I said, I’ve been building my fitness knowledge for a long time, and I’m still learning new ways to approach, teach, and do fitness and Pilates. So, while I wanted to tell this woman all the ways Pilates can support her, I didn’t. She is on her own fitness journey, just like I am. And I have a feeling that with all the things she does, she’ll keep learning, too, and will find out on her own how to find the right balance for her.