My Working DaySuzanne Griffin, Pilates coach with the Munster rugby squad and the Irish rowing team, explains how important Pilates is in terms of injury prevention
I'd probably start off my day with my first Pilates class at 10am. It's a general public course, and normally consists of mothers who come in after dropping their kids to school. Generally they're looking for more flexibility or help with older injuries, or they may have a wedding coming up they want to build up muscles or tone up for the occasion.
I then take a personal training session from 12 until one, and then in the afternoon from two until four, I take team coaching sessions, either the Munster rugby or the Irish rowing team.
I really enjoy the team sessions as I played a lot of sport from the age of 12 onwards. I was an inter-county footballer with Donegal, and knew from a young age I would be involved in either art or sport as a career. When I was meant to be inside doing art I found myself outdoors playing sport so in the long run art didn't stand a chance really!
Pilates is becoming increasingly popular. The type of person that comes to me is looking to build their core strength or internal muscles to support the spine.
It's a very precise and controlled form of exercise. I start off with posture analysis and breakdown of daily lifestyle. It's only then you can tailor a programme to someone's needs. Normally a programme will last for about six weeks.
My advice to anyone looking for personal training sessions is firstly to find a qualified instructor who you are comfortable working with. It's always advisable to know what you would like to achieve beforehand and have actual goals.
My afternoon sessions are a bit different. I got to work with the Munster rugby team following recommendation by Jim Williams, who had been doing Pilates for about six years with the Wallabies. He saw the value in it of injury prevention and career longevity and was responsible for pioneering it with the Munster squad. The game of rugby has become so high impact that keeping players fit is increasingly important.
In terms of the lads themselves, it would be fair to say they took a bit of convincing! Pilates is a low-intensity activity and involves lots of thought and purpose. It took a while to get them used to it, but those who started it have kept it on. I'm now into my second year with the squad and already they have seen the benefits. I notice that many of them now incorporate Pilates into their warm-up before games, and it has lowered the incidence of lower back and hamstring injuries.
The Irish rowing team are more flexible and not carrying as much weight. I concentrate much more on lower back and work on posture and alignments. I know it's a cliché but I feel very fortunate to be doing something I have such a passion for.