Is Pilates Good for Athletes? Why It’s the Secret to a Stronger, More Durable Body

If you love running, lifting, cycling, or playing sports, you’ve probably wondered: Is Pilates suitable for athletes? The short answer? Absolutely, and not just as a trend. Pilates is one of the most sustainable ways to build a body that moves better, recovers faster, and keeps doing the activities you love for years to come.

At Pilates With Riki, I work with active adults and athletes every day, people who want to feel strong, balanced, confident, and capable in their sport. Pilates isn’t about replacing what you love to do; it’s about helping you keep doing it without pain and restrictions slowing you down.

Let’s break down why athletes do Pilates, how it supports performance, and how adding it to your routine can help you build a truly durable, high-performing body.

How Pilates Helps Athletes Build Better Movement Patterns

One of the most significant benefits of Pilates for athletes is improvement in movement efficiency. Research found that Pilates may improve performance by increasing core strength, proximal stability, and body awareness, leading to improvements in throwing velocity among baseball athletes.

This is especially important for active adults who feel imbalances show up in their sport. Things like one hip overcompensating during running, one shoulder that's always tight during tennis, or quads that dominate everything due to all the hours spent on a bike.

Pilates trains your body to move as a coordinated system instead of letting one area do all the work. That’s why I regularly incorporate unilateral exercises in my sessions to help athletes balance uneven strength and prevent overuse injuries.

Balanced movement isn’t just safer, it’s more powerful.

Pilates for Improving Athletic Performance (Yes, Even for Elite Athletes)

If you’ve wondered if Pilates is suitable for elite athletes, the answer is a resounding yes. Some of the world’s top performers swear by it. Jake Arrieta, a former MLB pitcher, credited Pilates as a key part of his strength, mobility, and recovery routine.

And he’s far from alone. According to Croydon Pilates, David Beckham incorporated Pilates to maintain core strength and stability throughout his career, calling it “fantastic” for durability. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell estimates that 10% of NFL players regularly do Pilates for conditioning and recovery.

Why Do Professional Athletes Do Pilates?

Because performance is about more than strength, it’s about precision, stability, and repeatable movement quality. Pilates trains all three. Whether you’re competitive or just love staying active, Pilates helps you perform your sport better with fewer setbacks.

Pilates Is the Perfect Active Recovery (Without Losing Strength)

If you’ve ever asked yourself, "Is Pilates active recovery?", the answer is yes, and it can be game-changing. Unlike high-impact training or long cardio sessions, Pilates supports your recovery while still challenging your muscles in a controlled, balanced way. 

Pilates focuses on lengthening, aligning, and stabilizing the body, helping reduce tightness and speed up recovery between workouts.

With its focus on dynamic stretching, Pilates helps you reduce muscle tension and restore mobility after strenuous workouts. Pilates keeps you moving, healing, and performing without adding stress to your system.

Pilates Benefits for Athletes (Strength Without the Wear & Tear)

Pilates offers strength training, mobility work, balance, and core conditioning all in one low-impact workout.

Village Gym explains that Pilates can help athletes build strength through resistance-based movements while improving flexibility and stability at the same time.

It’s also incredibly joint-friendly. PureGym notes that Pilates strengthens the deep stabilizing muscles that support heavier lifting and more intense training.

If you love your sport but feel the wear and tear, Pilates can help your body feel more capable, not more exhausted.

Why Pilates Creates a More Durable Body (For Every Kind of Athlete)

Whether you're a runner, golfer, cyclist, weightlifter, or weekend warrior, the real magic of Pilates is durability, keeping your body moving well for the long run.

IDEA Health & Fitness Association highlights that Pilates improves core strength, hip stability, balance, and neuromuscular control, all key ingredients for building a resilient athletic body.

And you don’t have to be a professional to see results. Every day, active adults benefit just as much. As Katie Bell Physiotherapy explains, many athletes use Pilates to reduce injury risk and build a more stable, controlled body for sport.

Pilates isn’t about doing “more.” It’s about doing better, moving smarter, recovering quicker, and feeling good in your body every single day.

For athletes and active adults, pilates stands out as an incredibly effective and sustainable training method. Pilates offers a supportive and highly effective path to building a durable body, whether your goal is faster recovery, improved movement, reduced injury, or greater

confidence in your chosen sport.

If you’re curious about trying Pilates for your sport or you want help building a more balanced body, I’d love to support you. Send me an email at riki.shore@gmail.com to get started.