Core Reason N.F.L. Players Love Pilates: It Strengthens Body and Soul

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“That Pilates be getting me right,” shouted Dexter Lawrence to teammate Leonard Williams.

“For real?” Wiliams responded in high-pitched disbelief.

Is the 6-foot-4, 340-pound All-Pro QB hunter seriously contorting his body in classes that evolved into a workout favored by New York City ballerinas?

“A lot of core work so that helps with my lower back,” Lawrence says. “Just flexibility and strengthening different areas.”

You may laugh, but NFL players of all shapes and sizes will do whatever it takes to be the best. The NFL has a long history of players using ballet and other forms of dance to differentiate their workouts from what goes on in the weight room and on the football field.

Pilates, which players have utilized for years now, is gaining devoted practitioners in part because of an explosion of social media video posts featuring their sweating and shaking workouts.

“I voluntarily go to go shake like a leaf and hold myself in these extremely challenging tough positions,” Dolphins linebacker Jaelan Phillips says. “It makes your body stronger but also makes your mind and soul and spirit stronger. I really leave Pilates with a glow.”

“If you take that to the field, if you take that to really anything, (such as) anxiety, breathing can alleviate that,” Phillips says. “So Pilates is just like a microcosm of a lot of things that you can apply to real life that are beneficial for your health and wellness.”

Phillips suffered a groin injury in his first NFL training camp and hip flexor injuries throughout his 2021 rookie season. But his confidence in Pilates has blossomed since he started incorporating it into his workout regimen. The Dolphins bring in Jackie Bachor, who offers in-house Pilates sessions on Tuesdays during the season (player off days). Looking for ways to optimize his performance, Phillips started going weekly and he estimates about 10 of his teammates participate as well.

“As a football player, we’re so used to being big and strong and dominating in what we do,” Phillips says. “So … stepping out of your comfort zone to do something you’re not good at can be kind of daunting. And so doing Pilates the first time, it’s kind of embarrassing, right? You’re sitting there shaking, you’re trying to hold yourself.”

Phillips hasn’t dealt with hip flexor or groin issues since his rookie season, and he credits the deep core muscle work of Pilates for injury prevention. It has also given him a competitive edge — not only by productively utilizing his Tuesdays, but also by exposing his physical deficiencies.

“When you do something like Pilates, you can’t hide,” Phillips says.

We found this article at https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5683925/2024/08/07/nfl-players-pilates-fitness-recovery/ and think it's important to share with the world how beneficial pilates can be for all ages, genders, and body types. Come join us here at Jupiter Massage and Pilates for a private pilates session any day of the week! Learn from our extremely talented instructors and you will leave feeling like those N.F.L. players after a good workout.

Jupiter Massage & Pilates

125 W. Indiantown Road Suite #102 Jupiter, FL 33458

561-529-2093

www.jupitermassageandpilates.com

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