Powered by Pilates
I attend a back health class every week. It has helped me to walk again. After finishing my class, I cross paths with Jon Emmett, we both have something in common, Spinal surgery and Pilates. That’s where the similarities stop, as Jon is a trained athlete. I was interested to hear his story and this has led to my fascination as to why do more men not do Pilates?
Jon Emmett is a championship sailor and he has been a professional sailor/coach since 2000. He has been ranked number one in the UK, in the laser radial class for nine years. He has managed to maintain his fitness through Pilates training after suffering injuries which would have stopped many others.
He trained alongside gold medal winning British Sailing Olympic champion, Shirley Robertson, whilst starting his full time sailing career and in the youth squad with Ben Ainslie; Jon had to withdraw from his campaign for the 49er class after a sailing injury, which left him with two prolapsed discs in his neck.
‘My girlfriend insisted I had a MRI scan which lead to me discovering, I needed an operation’ he said.
Still sailing two days prior to his spinal operation and the day before, he achieved his personal best sailing time. Family and friends questioned his decision, but Jon knew the procedure had to go ahead, even though his symptoms had been alleviated by acupuncture and physiotherapy.
On 19th September 2007, Jon had the two prolapsed discs removed, replaced with titanium and the three vertebrae fused. He planned to take six months off from training. Returning back home to his parents. ‘It was extremely frustrating not being able to do anything for myself and see all my fitness disappear, however my parents looked after me very well’ he said.
Whilst recuperating and spending the best part of six weeks lying on a sun lounger, Jon looked up Pilates on the internet, as it was recommended to him, by his G.P and Sport England Physio. He was on a timeframe to qualify for the World Championships and had to be back racing in 2008. ‘There is nothing like injury to focus your mind’ he told me resolutely. ‘My fitness is everything to me, I couldn’t do my job without it.’
Living in Weymouth, which is hosting the Olympic sailing events in 2012, Jon chose the Pilates Centre Weymouth to start his training. In March 2008 he began using the gym equipment, starting off with eight to 10 strength sessions every week.
He concentrated on his core muscles and glutes, getting them firing again properly. By using the lateral pull down bar on the Cadillac machine, he began to feel his muscles engage again. Similar to aerobics, Pilates gives strong heart muscles along with a strong core, this is easier to maintain and improves posture. Jenny Sedona-Glover his instructor, sorted out his lower back problems first and then helped to teach him how to bullet proof his back to prevent any further injury.
Six months then turned into seven months and unfortunately Jon missed the World Championships and then had to focus on getting back in time for the European Championships 2008. With the Tornado removed from the Olympic classes Jon now began to focus on the Radial class.
Powered by his Pilates workouts, Jon went on to win the 2008 and 2009 UK National Championships, coming second in 2010 and won the Radial Europa Cup series. An amazing achievement knowing how hard recovering from surgery can be. ‘It was a relief to win my first national champions back in the boat, especially as it was a windy event’ he said proudly.
‘Sailing is particularly bad for static holding and therefore, the core strength achieved from the Pilates workouts, means I am less likely to hurt myself and as I get older, I need to heal quickly, to can carry on competing.’
‘Many laser sailors have back problems but are too busy to try Pilates.’ ‘They need to find the time.’ ‘I wish I had done Pilates earlier in my career, shame I cannot turn the clock back’, he reminisced. ‘I would 100% recommend Pilates as a form of exercise to any sportsperson.’ ‘I plan to continue with my Pilates workouts and I hope to coach for the 2012 Olympic Games and then examine my options.’
So knowing how much it has helped both myself and Jon. I began to wonder why more men do not train this way. After all it was started by a man and it’s been a training vehicle for elite athletes for over 50 years, including the New Zealand All Blacks, Chelsea Football Club and the SAS. Men have figured prominently as instructors and promoters of the method throughout its history. It was originally created for men. Joseph Pilates himself was a boxer and self defence instructor and the legendary German heavyweight boxer Max Schmeiling was a regular at his New York Studio.
Core Strength, flexibility, balance, uniform development and efficient movement patterns are all hallmarks of Pilates training and highly relevant to men’s fitness.
I went along to a gym to talk to some men who take their fitness seriously. I wanted to show them some facts of Pilates and the benefits and what could be achieved by using their training methods and equipment.
At Future Physiques Gym in Weymouth, I met a few of the regulars. I asked them for their opinions on this form of exercise and if they would try a Pilates workout, alongside the Gym. The response was very encouraging.
‘If I had known what Pilates could do, I would definitely have given it a try, as I broke a vertebra in my back in a mountain biking accident a few years ago’ Dave told me.
‘I have lifted a lot of heavy weights over the years and now have sciatica’ another said.
‘I will go home and look it up on the internet to see what it can do to help me’. Great news I was managing to help others see the benefits.
The overall consensus of opinion was that more men need to be involved, but they were surprised to learn a top rugby team incorporate it into their fitness regime and were inspired by this. If a G.P. recommended it to them, they would give it a try.
Lynne Robinson is the founder of Body Control Pilates www.bodycontrol.co.uk. She kindly gave me her thoughts on why she thinks more men should be powered by Pilates. ‘The beauty of Pilates is that Men come to it for so many different reasons, be it to improve how they look, medical, to enhance their sports performance or to recover from injury.’ ‘You can tailor it, to get whatever you want from it.’ ‘All main sports team and most Olympic squads do a form of stability training similar to pilates in their fitness schedules.’ Lynne told me.
‘The queen of Pilates’ Lynne has worked with Pat Cash, helping him to regain his fitness after surgery, subsequently releasing a DVD with her called ‘Pilates Express’.
Her other clients include, the Football Association, English National Cricket Team and since February 2009, the medical team of Chelsea Football Club.
She continued to tell me how there has been a huge increase in popularity for ‘Men only classes’ and ‘men’s one to one sessions’.
‘Men are now coming in their thousands to try Pilates and feeling the benefit from it’ she enthused. ‘It gives something different to a normal Gym workout.’ ‘Many business men come in their lunch breaks’ she said rather hurriedly, as her next appointment was waiting and he is a heart surgeon, need I say more.
Its popularity coupled with the efficiency of Pilates makes it an exercise phenomenon that is not another trend. I know what it can achieve, so maybe it’s time to power your body with Pilates.
Fiona Murphy (c)