Bending over backwards for Pilates

It's a few years now since some players at a particular League of Ireland club cited their manager's inclination towards having the squad incorporate Pilates into their training regime as just one of their many gripes with him. Since then Roy Keane emerged as a believer and the system of exercises, or variations on it, has become commonplace even at leading international clubs.

Originally invented by Joseph Pilates in the early part of the last century and initially used to help returning first World War veterans rebuild their physical strength, the aim involved is to develop the "core" muscles, breathing control and flexibility. The usefulness of those sort of goals to elite athletes, whatever their particular discipline, doesn't take an enormous leap of imagination. But what about recreational runners who are out to run long distances for the first time?

"The principles are exactly the same really," says Marc Smith, a personal trainer who gives Pilates classes at the Posture Centre on Pembroke Street, Dublin (tel: 087-9799030 or www.posturecentre.ie) and who has been working with members of the Adidas-backed "virgins" as they prepare for this year's Dublin City marathon.

"It strengthens your core, your back and your hips, which makes you less susceptible to injury in the first place and then better equipped to get over them when they do occur."

Smith does strength and fitness work with Lansdowne rugby club's players and points to the All Blacks as the sort of high-profiled groups who have used these sort of exercises highly effectively while Tiger Woods is just one of many leading golfers to have an instructor. He also insists that his personal experience as a runner suggests there are significant benefits to be gained on the speed front by the less accomplished with his own times improving steadily from when he started doing Pilates a few years ago.

Lessons are easy to come by and even an entry level course will equip people with the sort of basic stretching movements that can be used very effectively for warming down after runs. By the end of the first class any lingering suspicion that this is easily dismissed stuff, only for the "yummy mummies", is likely to have been dispelled.

"It's had that sort of image all right," concedes Smith, "although things are changing and we're certainly seeing more guys at classes. What's happening, though, is that contrary to what some people expect, the guys don't want to be in with the women because while they compare quite well in terms of strength, the women are spot on in terms of flexibility and when the men find the exercises hard to do, sometimes they find that embarrassing."

Sure enough, on the occasion I turn up, none of the class (it was open to all, but the more flexible sex was not represented) is able to do all of the moves lined up for first timers. And there is indeed some small comfort in that.