Southwest Florida's Health and Wellness Magazine Health and Wellness Articles
By Shannon Willits, Master Pilates Educator
One of the greatest parts of being a kid is having the ability to embrace play. Play is a primitive form of functional movement and develops in the survival portion of the brain. Play is vital for human development, supporting learning, adaptation, and mental and physical well-being. While commonly linked with children, it is equally crucial for adults.
Organized sports are a fun and dynamic environment for adults to connect with their primal play instincts. One of the reasons pickleball has gained widespread popularity is its inclusivity across ages and skill levels. Also, it is a lot of fun.
Playing Pickleball
Pickleball is enjoyable and beneficial for all ages, including active seniors.
Specific reasons pickleball is worth dinking around with include:
Cardiovascular health– Pickleball can improve cardiovascular fitness and lower the risk of heart disease. Playing racket sports can also help prevent other age-related issues, such as hypertension and stroke.
Cognitive function– Exercise can enhance brain plasticity and support long-term memory. Playing pickleball also stimulates the area of the brain that controls working memory by requiring players to keep track of rules, scores, and positions on the court.
Balance and coordination– Playing pickleball can improve your hand-eye coordination and footwork skills.
Strength and flexibility– Playing pickleball improves mobility, which combines strength and flexibility during a movement.
Pickleball supports healthy aging, including physical, mental, social, and behavioral well-being. Playing pickleball can also be physically demanding, with quick stops and starts, lunging, and twisting movements. As people age, their muscles may become less strong and flexible, and their bones more brittle. These declines affect coordination, stability, and balance. Properly preparing and training the body can significantly increase injury prevention on the court.
Like pickleball, the Pilates method is for everyone. Both pickleball and the Pilates Method can help the body feel younger on its own. Together, they are the perfect pair for building a more youthful body.
The Pilates Reformer
The Pilates Reformer is a wooden frame apparatus with a sliding carriage, springs as resistance, ropes, and pulleys. It looks a little medieval but is far from that. Reformer Pilates is the choice of many pickleball athletes because the reaction to the springs allows dynamic control in every movement.
The Pilates Method focuses on techniques for alignment, precision, concentration, dynamic control, and core stability/strength. These practices make it the ideal training environment for pickleball professionals and aspiring athletes. Additionally, this low-impact workout works well for the aging athlete who wants to get into pickleball shape safely and effectively.
Three MAJOR Reformer Pilates Benefits for Pickleball Players
1. Alignment and Precision go together in the Pilates workout.
Bridging exercises focus on alignment of the ankle, pelvis, and spine while simultaneously concentrating on spinal and hip stability/mobility. When bridging is executed with precision the muscles in the backline of the body improve their strength and communication.
2. Flexibility is built into every Pilates exercise.
Flexibility is a physical resource and an essential element for preventing falls while playing pickleball. Face plants can be avoided by improving body awareness and ranges of motion. Backpedaling can be avoided by training the hips and pelvis in rotation to encourage adaptable control in a quick change of direction.
Flexibility training with the Pilates Method is movement Balance training. This style of movement-based flexibility training is effective for pickleball players because practicing sport-specific movements enhances player performance. Training the brain and body together allows players to perform at the highest level without injury.
The Side Splits series on the Pilates Reformer with rotational reach imitates the movements at the net. The springs contribute control while multitasking alignment and precision. Pickleball players experience results quickly improving flexibility, strength, and core stability.
3. Control throughout the movement is a fundamental principle in the Pilates Method.
Power and control while serving and returning come from core strength and are critical for maintaining pelvis and spinal alignment in the drop-shot. In other words, core strength is necessary for stamina and to continue playing down the road.
The Pilates Method focuses on breathing techniques that strengthen the deepest abdominal muscles, aka the core. Every single Pilates exercise turns on the deep core muscles within a few sessions. Some of the most common first signs of improvement include better tone in abdominals, less low back and neck pain, and better pickleball performance.
A Perfect Pair: Reformer Pilates and Playing Pickleball
Similar to great doubles partners, Reformer Pilates and Pickleball complement each other perfectly. Because the Pilates Reformer uses springs as resistance, it simulates the way muscles work while playing pickleball by shortening and lengthening.
Just like pickleball, Pilates is suitable for everyone. When pickleball players improve, their confidence soars, and, you know what? They’re having a blast!
Shannon Willits, Master Pilates Educator
Shannon is a Master Pilates Educator and owner of 4 local Club Pilates studios. As a career Pilates instructor and functional movement specialist, Shannon has mastered the science and art of her craft. She shares her knowledge by certifying aspiring Pilates instructors. Shannon’s unique approach to developing an apprenticeship has led to the establishment of the Southwest Florida Pilates Academy. She holds prestigious certifications in STOTT Pilates and Gyrotonics, completed a fellowship in Applied Functional Science (FAFS), and is a Functional Golf Specialist.
In her spare time, Shannon has developed a love for playing Pickleball. She is elevating the sport by combining her Pilates wisdom with Pickleball training. Shannon specializes in Pilates for Pickleball. Currently, you can find her Pilates for Pickleballs tips with Into Pickleball Online Magazine, her YouTube page, and pilates-pickleball.com.
