Pilates for Athletes: How Professional Sports Teams Use Reformer Training - Peak Primal Wellness

Pilates for Athletes: How Professional Sports Teams Use Reformer Training

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Pilates for Athletes: How Professional Sports Teams Use Reformer Training

Why elite teams are ditching traditional gym sessions for the low-impact, high-performance training method redefining sports recovery and strength.

By Peak Primal Wellness10 min read

Key Takeaways

  • Scientifically Supported: Research consistently shows that Pilates reformer training improves core strength, flexibility, balance, and injury resilience — all critical performance markers for competitive athletes.
  • Elite Adoption: Professional teams across the NFL, NBA, MLB, and ATP tennis circuit have integrated reformer Pilates into their official training and recovery protocols.
  • Injury Prevention ROI: Studies show Pilates-based training can significantly reduce the incidence of common sports injuries, particularly in the lumbar spine, hamstrings, and hips.
  • Not Just for Recovery: Reformer Pilates is increasingly used as a primary strength and neuromuscular conditioning tool, not simply a rehabilitation modality.
  • Accessible at All Levels: The principles elite teams use on the reformer can be applied by recreational athletes and weekend warriors to achieve similar functional benefits.

📖 Go Deeper

Want the full picture? Read our The Ultimate Guide to Pilates Equipment for everything you need to know.

Why Pilates Has Entered the Professional Sports Arena

For decades, Pilates carried a reputation as a gentle exercise system best suited for dancers, rehabilitation patients, or those easing back into fitness after injury. That perception has shifted dramatically. Walk into the training facilities of a modern NFL franchise, a top-tier tennis academy, or a professional soccer club today, and you are likely to find a row of reformer machines occupied by some of the most physically demanding athletes on the planet.

The question is Pilates good for athletes is no longer really up for debate among sports science professionals. The more pressing question now is how to best integrate it. What changed? A growing body of research, combined with real-world outcomes from elite programs, has demonstrated that the reformer addresses specific physical gaps that conventional strength and conditioning work often leaves open — particularly in the areas of deep stabilizer strength, movement quality, and fascial health.

Joseph Pilates himself designed his method with athletes in mind. He trained boxers, gymnasts, and dancers in his original New York studio, and he was explicit about the system's goal: to develop the body uniformly, correct posture, and restore physical vitality. Nearly a century later, sports science is catching up to what he intuited.

What the Research Actually Shows

Medical cross-section diagram showing deep core stabilizer muscles activated during Pilates reformer training for athletes

The scientific literature on Pilates and athletic performance has expanded considerably over the past fifteen years. Studies published in journals including the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, Physical Therapy in Sport, and the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness have examined Pilates across a range of athletic populations — from collegiate soccer players to elite rowers — and the findings are consistently positive.

A 2015 study published in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness found that a 12-week Pilates program significantly improved core muscle endurance , flexibility, and dynamic balance in male college athletes. These three qualities are directly linked to sport performance and injury prevention. Core endurance, in particular, supports force transfer between the lower and upper body — a fundamental mechanism in almost every athletic movement, from throwing a baseball to executing a tennis serve.

Research on hamstring health is especially relevant for team sport athletes. Hamstring strains are one of the most common and costly injuries in professional sports. A 2019 study in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports noted that eccentric hamstring strength — the kind built during the lengthening phase of muscle contraction — is a key protective factor. Reformer Pilates, which places significant emphasis on controlled eccentric loading through exercises like footwork, long stretch, and arabesque variations, develops exactly this quality.

The Neuromuscular Edge: One of Pilates reformer training's most underappreciated benefits for athletes is its effect on neuromuscular control — the precision and timing of muscle activation patterns. Research suggests that improved neuromuscular efficiency translates directly to better movement economy, meaning athletes can produce more output with less metabolic cost.

Balance and proprioception — the body's ability to sense its own position in space — are also measurably improved by reformer training. A 2021 review in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health pooled data from multiple studies and confirmed that Pilates training produced significant improvements in static and dynamic balance compared to control groups. For athletes competing in unpredictable environments, this kind of body awareness can be the difference between absorbing contact cleanly and sustaining a ligament injury.

The NFL's Quiet Pilates Revolution

American football is one of the most physically brutal sports in the world. Players routinely absorb high-force collisions, perform explosive multi-directional movements, and must sustain peak physical performance across a grueling season. It might seem like the last place you'd expect to find reformer machines — yet several NFL franchises have made Pilates a standard component of their athlete maintenance programs.

The San Francisco 49ers were among the early adopters, incorporating Pilates into their training model under the guidance of their performance staff. The rationale was straightforward: conventional gym-based strength work builds the primary movers effectively, but leaves the stabilizing musculature — the rotator cuff, the deep hip rotators, the transverse abdominis — relatively undertrained. These smaller muscles are disproportionately responsible for protecting joints during the chaotic, unplanned movements that happen in live game situations.

Linebacker and defensive line players, whose hips and lumbar spine absorb enormous forces, have been noted as particularly strong advocates of reformer work within NFL training circles. The hip flexor and glute work available on the reformer — through exercises like hip circles, side-lying leg series, and kneeling hip extension — addresses tissue quality and mobility in ways that barbell squats and hip thrusters simply do not replicate.

Wide receivers and defensive backs — athletes who must decelerate rapidly and change direction at high speed — benefit from the reformer's emphasis on single-leg stability and lateral chain strength. The lateral lunge and side-split series on the reformer build the hip abductors and adductors in functional ranges, reducing the risk of groin and ACL injuries that plague change-of-direction athletes.

How the ATP and WTA Circuits Use the Reformer

Tennis is a sport that demands enormous rotational power, extreme ranges of motion in the shoulder and hip, and the ability to absorb and redirect force hundreds of times in a single match. It is also a sport associated with chronic overuse injuries — particularly in the shoulder, elbow, lower back, and knee. Reformer Pilates addresses nearly every one of these vulnerabilities.

Andy Murray, the three-time Grand Slam champion and former world number one, has spoken openly about Pilates being a cornerstone of his rehabilitation and ongoing maintenance work. After hip surgery in 2018, Murray incorporated intensive reformer sessions into his recovery, crediting the work with restoring the movement quality he needed to return to professional competition. His case is well-documented and has brought considerable attention to Pilates among the broader tennis community.

Rafael Nadal's training team has also integrated Pilates-based core conditioning into his preparation, particularly focused on managing the spinal and hip demands of his notoriously aggressive playing style. For players who generate topspin through extreme trunk rotation — as Nadal does — the deep spinal stabilizers are constantly under load, and targeted reformer work helps maintain the integrity of those structures across a long season.

Shoulder Health in Overhead Athletes: Research published in the Journal of Physical Therapy Science found that Pilates training improved scapular muscle strength and shoulder joint stability in overhead athletes — a finding with direct implications for tennis players, swimmers, and baseball pitchers who face chronic rotator cuff stress.

On the women's circuit, Pilates has long been part of the training vocabulary. Serena Williams has referenced Pilates as a regular part of her cross-training regimen throughout her career. Given her remarkable longevity at the highest level of the sport — competing at elite level into her late thirties following multiple injuries and health challenges — her recovery and maintenance practices are worth noting.

Soccer, Basketball, and Baseball: Team Sports Embrace the Reformer

Across team sports, the picture is similarly consistent. In Major League Soccer and European football clubs, reformer Pilates has been adopted as both an injury prevention tool and a means of improving the movement literacy of players. Hamstring health, hip mobility, and single-leg stability are at the forefront of these programs — all areas where the reformer excels.

In the NBA, where the season stretches across 82 regular-season games and players must maintain explosive athleticism while managing cumulative fatigue, recovery-focused training has become a competitive priority. Teams including the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors have invested in comprehensive recovery suites that include Pilates reformers alongside more familiar modalities like contrast therapy and soft tissue work. Guards and forwards who rely on hip mobility and rotational power for their game benefit from the reformer's capacity to work the lateral chain and deep hip musculature in controlled, progressive loads.

In Major League Baseball, the rotational demands of hitting and the extreme shoulder loads of pitching make Pilates a natural fit. Several MLB teams have certified Pilates instructors on their performance staffs. Pitchers, in particular, benefit from the reformer's shoulder stabilization exercises — the long box arm series, the hug-a-tree, and the rowing series all target the rotator cuff and periscapular muscles with a specificity that conventional dumbbell work cannot match. Core rotation exercises on the reformer also build the oblique and transverse abdominal strength that generates torque in a pitcher's delivery.

Reformer Versus Mat Pilates: Why the Machine Matters for Athletes

Isometric technical comparison diagram of Pilates reformer spring resistance system versus mat training resistance planes

It is worth distinguishing between mat Pilates and reformer Pilates when discussing athletic applications, because the two modalities, while related, offer meaningfully different training stimuli. Mat Pilates is an excellent form of bodyweight core conditioning, and it has real value for athletes. However, the reformer provides advantages that are particularly relevant for competitive sports performance.

The spring resistance system on the reformer allows for variable and precise loading across the full range of motion of an exercise. This is fundamentally different from bodyweight training, where the load is fixed, and from free weights, where resistance changes as leverage shifts. The reformer's springs can be set to assist movement — reducing the load — which allows athletes to train through ranges of motion that injury or stiffness might otherwise prevent. This is a critical feature for rehabilitation phases.

Equally important, the springs can be configured to add resistance in ways that specifically challenge eccentric control. As noted earlier, eccentric strength is one of the most important protective factors for muscle and tendon health in athletes. The reformer's design naturally builds this quality through almost every exercise in the system.

Proprioceptive Challenge: The moving carriage of the reformer creates an inherently unstable surface that demands continuous neuromuscular coordination. This proprioceptive challenge is significantly greater than most mat exercises and translates directly to the reactive stability required in sport.

The reformer also enables a much wider range of exercise positions — standing, kneeling, side-lying, prone, and supine — allowing coaches and therapists to target movement patterns in the actual planes and positions relevant to a specific sport. A volleyball player's shoulder, a soccer player's single-leg landing mechanics, and a golfer's rotational stability can each be addressed with exercises tailored to those exact demands.

How Recreational Athletes Can Apply These Principles

You do not need to be playing in a championship league to benefit from the same principles that elite teams are applying. Recreational athletes — runners, cyclists, CrossFit participants, weekend team sport players — face many of the same underlying physical challenges as professionals: muscular imbalances, limited hip mobility, undertrained stabilizers, and a tendency toward overuse injury in the areas that take the most load.

For most recreational athletes, incorporating two to three reformer Pilates sessions per week alongside primary training provides meaningful benefits without compromising sport-specific preparation. Many sports performance professionals recommend using Pilates sessions on lighter training days or as part of an active recovery rotation, where the controlled, low-impact nature of reformer work allows the body to move and recover simultaneously.

If you are new to reformer training, working with a qualified instructor for the first several sessions is strongly advisable. The reformer has a learning curve, and the precision of movement that makes it effective also means that sloppy execution reduces its benefits considerably. Once foundational movement patterns are established — proper footwork mechanics, neutral spine maintenance, breath coordination — the exercises can be progressed systematically to challenge stability and strength at higher levels.

Key exercises that translate most directly to athletic performance include the footwork series (building lower limb pushing strength and alignment), the short box series (spinal articulation and hip flexor strength), leg circles (hip joint mobility and stability), and the long stretch series (full-body integration and anterior chain control). A qualified instructor can build a program around your specific sport's demands and your individual movement assessment.

Comparing Pilates Reformer Training to Traditional Athletic Conditioning

Radar chart comparing Pilates reformer training versus weight training across five athletic performance attributes
Training Quality Traditional Strength Training Reformer Pilates
Primary mover strength Excellent Moderate
Stabilizer muscle development Limited Excellent
Eccentric strength Good (with specific programming) Excellent (inherent to system)
Proprioception and balance Limited Excellent
Spinal mobility and health Limited Excellent
Hip mobility Limited Excellent
Injury rehabilitation capacity Moderate Excellent
Maximal power development Excellent Limited

The Verdict: Pilates Is a Performance Tool, Not a Compromise

The evidence — both scientific and anecdotal from the highest levels of sport — makes a compelling case. Reformer Pilates is not a soft alternative to "real" training. It is a sophisticated conditioning system that addresses the specific physical qualities most responsible for athletic longevity , injury resilience, and movement efficiency. The NFL players, Grand Slam champions, and elite performance coaches who have integrated it into their programs did not do so out of fashion. They did so because it works.

For athletes at any level, the reformer offers a uniquely complementary training environment — one that builds the qualities conventional lifting tends to leave underdeveloped. Deep stabilizer strength, controlled eccentric loading, multi-planar hip mobility, and neuromuscular precision are not luxury additions to an athletic training program. They are foundational requirements for a body that performs well and stays healthy over time.

Whether you are preparing for a competitive season, returning from injury, or simply trying to sustain an active lifestyle with fewer setbacks, the reformer has something meaningful to offer. The professional sports world has already recognized this. The question now is whether you are ready to follow that lead

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Pilates good for athletes, or is it only for flexibility and rehabilitation?

Pilates is highly beneficial for athletes across all sports, extending well beyond flexibility and rehab work. It builds deep core stability, improves neuromuscular control, and enhances body awareness — all of which directly translate to better athletic performance, faster movement, and reduced injury risk. Many elite sports teams now integrate Pilates as a core component of their strength and conditioning programs rather than treating it as a supplementary activity.

What is a Reformer, and why do professional teams prefer it over mat Pilates?

A Reformer is a sliding carriage machine equipped with a system of springs, straps, and pulleys that provides adjustable resistance throughout a full range of motion. Professional teams favor it because the variable resistance challenges muscles in ways that mat work cannot replicate, allowing athletes to load movements progressively while maintaining precise alignment. It also enables sport-specific exercise programming, making it easier for coaches to target the exact movement patterns relevant to a player's position and demands.

Which professional sports teams and athletes are known to use Reformer Pilates?

Reformer Pilates has been adopted across a wide range of professional sports, including NFL teams, NBA franchises, Premier League soccer clubs, and major league baseball organizations. High-profile athletes such as LeBron James, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Tiger Woods have publicly credited Pilates as part of their training and recovery routines. Its popularity at the elite level has grown steadily over the past two decades as sports science increasingly validates its performance and injury-prevention benefits.

How does Pilates help prevent injuries in competitive athletes?

Pilates addresses the muscular imbalances and movement compensations that are among the leading causes of sports injuries, particularly in the knees, hips, shoulders, and lower back. By strengthening the deep stabilizing muscles of the core and improving joint alignment, athletes move more efficiently and place less asymmetrical stress on vulnerable structures. Research has shown that programs incorporating Pilates can significantly reduce the incidence of non-contact injuries, which is especially valuable during long competitive seasons.

How often should an athlete incorporate Reformer Pilates into their training schedule?

Most sports performance specialists recommend two to three Reformer Pilates sessions per week for athletes looking to see meaningful improvements in stability, mobility, and movement quality. During heavy training blocks or in-season periods, one focused session per week can still provide maintenance benefits and support faster recovery between competitions. The frequency should be adjusted based on the athlete's overall training load, sport-specific demands, and proximity to important events.

Can Pilates replace traditional strength training for athletes?

Pilates is best used as a complement to traditional strength training rather than a direct replacement, especially for athletes who need high levels of absolute strength and power. While Reformer Pilates does build functional strength, endurance, and stability, it does not provide the same stimulus for maximal force production as heavy compound lifting. The most effective athletic programs combine both modalities, using Pilates to refine movement quality and address weaknesses while conventional lifting builds the raw strength foundation.

How much does it cost to access Reformer Pilates, and do most gyms offer it?

Reformer Pilates sessions typically range from $30 to $100 per class depending on whether you attend a group session or work with a private instructor, with private sessions in major cities often reaching the higher end of that range. Dedicated Pilates studios are the most common place to find Reformers, and boutique fitness studios offering Reformer classes have expanded significantly in recent years, making access more widely available. Some high-end gyms and sports performance facilities also house Reformers, and purchasing a home unit is an option for serious athletes, with quality machines ranging from around $2,000 to over $8,000.

Do athletes need prior Pilates experience before using a Reformer?

No prior Pilates experience is required to begin Reformer training, though most studios recommend at least one or two introductory sessions with a qualified instructor to learn proper machine setup, spring resistance settings, and foundational movement cues. Athletes tend to adapt quickly due to their existing body awareness and fitness base, but skipping the fundamentals can lead to poor form and diminished results. Working with an instructor who has experience training athletes is especially valuable, as they can tailor exercises to your sport and identify the specific imbalances that need addressing.

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