No matter how little or long you’ve been in the running game, you’ll know that there is a lot more to it than just… running. Hunting down the comfiest pair of Asics and meal prepping around your training are important but what actually keeps your legs turning when it matters most on race day? Strength drills, mobility exercises, and yes, Pilates.
Implementing this German-born discipline into your weekly running routine—especially if you’re embarking on a marathon—is one of the most effective ways of improving your stride. It deepens your stability, hip control, and core strength to name just a few things, so that when you’re about to hit the wall at 21 miles, your form and technique kick carry you over the finish line.
We asked some experts to explain why Pilates has gained such momentum in the running world, including Bryony Deery who has designed an entire exercise platform around this very thing.
What is Pilates?
Pilates is an ever-growing practice that has branched out into different approaches (classical, reformer, Lagree). However, at its core—pun intended—Pilates is characterized by low-impact, highly controlled sequences of movement that work your core stability, posture, and body awareness. As Pilates instructor and business owner Sam Deville puts it: “Pilates is a strength-based training method focused on control, alignment and precision. At its best, it builds deep, functional strength through the core, hips, and back, while improving how your body moves as a whole—not just how individual muscles work.”
Even adding on some easy miles can put a lot of strain on your body. “Running is a repetitive, high-impact, single-leg sport with over thousands of strides, small weaknesses and imbalances get amplified into injuries or inefficiency,” Deery says. “Pilates works on what running neglects: deep core stability, hip, and glute control, spinal mobility, and posture.”
Both mat and reformer are effective. Deville believes that the fundamentals that come from mat work are “more than enough to build strength and control” when done properly. Meanwhile, physiotherapist at Complete Pilates Helen O’Learly lauds the reformer. “It involves more standing exercises, especially single leg exercises that are functionally relevant for runners,” she says.
Why is Pilates good for running?
If you’re fed up with paying your dues in ice baths and magnesium supplements, Pilates is a productive maintenance-and-recovery workout. It assists in building each necessary component for better technique. Strength training is non-negotiable for runners, and Pilates first and foremost functions as a low impact-strength medium that you can perform on your rest days. While traditional muscle-building exercises focus predominantly on training load and larger muscle groups, Pilates is more about supporting the body as a whole. “It targets the smaller stabilizing muscles, improves joint control, and builds strength in a way that directly carries over into movement,” says Deville. “It’s not just about being stronger but about moving better.”
Take core work, for example. “A strong deep core stops wasted energy and protects your lower back from the impact of running. It stabilizes your spine and pelvis every time your foot hits the ground,” says Deery. “When your core is stable, more of every stride goes into forward momentum rather than side-to-side instability. You can [then] feel when your form is drifting on a long run and correct it in real time.”
As a society, our postures have suffered from desk jobs—but attempting to correct your posture while you’re running will only lead to injury. You therefore need to build this naturally outside of your runs. “Pilates improves awareness and control of alignment—particularly through the spine, pelvis, and ribcage,” says Deville. “For runners, that translates into a more upright, efficient posture and better control through each stride, especially as fatigue sets in.”