Could Pilates be the secret to crushing the competition in your next tennis match, golf game or triathlon?

In a recent ESPN.com interview, Chicago Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta called flexibility his “No. 1 asset” and credited his daily Pilates workouts. Thanks to Arrieta, as many as 20 other Cubs players now cross-train with Pilates. 

It’s true: Pilates can be very effective for improving performance in a variety of sports. Competitive and recreational baseball, football and basketball players, as well as golfers, cyclists and runners, use it to build core strength, flexibility, mobility, power, control, and concentration.

For one-sided sports such as golf, tennis and baseball and linear sports like running and cycling, Pilates can help improve body alignment and muscular symmetry to boost performance and prevent injuries.

Developed by Joseph Pilates in the early 1900s, Pilates was originally used to rehabilitate World War I soldiers using machines made with springs from old hospital beds. These machines eventually morphed into the modern-day equipment found in the Zenergy Pilates Studio, which utilizes pulleys and springs as resistance to build strength and flexibility in the spine and limbs.

Zenergy offers private Pilates sessions as well as monthly group clinics and our ever-popular Pilates Mat classes. To sign up, go online or contact Tim at thanna@zenergysv.com.