A growing number of athletes across the widest range of sports now use Pilates for everything from injury prevention to developing core strength, flexibility, suppleness, co-ordination and longer, stronger muscles. More and more sports coaches now employ structural fitness exercises based on Pilates principles.

Of all the professional athletes who have discovered Pilates, golfers have taken to it fastest and in greatest numbers. Professionals include Seve Ballesteros , Annika Sorenstam, David Duval, Kelli Kuehne, Andrew McGee, Grace Park and Carin Koch among many others.

Pilates is a uniquely precise and intelligent approach to exercise and body conditioning, which gives you a leaner, suppler, more toned body and a calmer, more relaxed mind.

Golf, like Pilates is about stability, focus and core strength. The ability in the case of golf to maintain a stable body position long enough to play through a shot without the body buckling or twisting uncontrollably, to maintain focus whilst executing repeated movements efficiently and precisely, regardless of distractions and the power of core strength, involving movement from the centre of the body enabling us to perform precise movements with small margins of error.

Pilates addresses the need in golf for excellent rotation around the spine while maintaining stability through the deep transverse abdominal muscles. It is more dynamic than yoga but less aggressive than aerobics. Whereas most forms of exercise build the body’s stronger muscles, Pilates exercises are designed to strengthen the weaker ones too. This results in a properly balanced body with better joint mobility and a firm musculature, and good natural posture. Pilates helps you achieve such posture by strengthening the centre of the body so that it supports your lower back, helping you to stand straight and hold your upper body correctly.

Top golfers now work on their fitness conditioning as much as their putting, a feature that is becoming more common among club level players too. Common to all is the need to build long, lean muscles without bulk, and to activate the deep abdominal muscles to create a solid core. Pilates addresses these requirements and is an ideal complement to other training methods.

Injuries do of course happen. After a sidelining injury, gentle and careful Pilates exercises remobilise the body, easing the damaged muscles, tendons and joints back into activity. The rebalancing effects of Pilates can also help to prevent the distortions caused when you try to compensate for the part of the body that has been out of use.

Correctly executed Pilates exercises not only aid in injury rehabilitation but are themselves so controlled and low impact that they are extremely safe. What’s more, the awareness of your body that they develop enables you to avoid the same injuries or problems recurring in the future.

‘In ten sessions you will feel the difference, in 20 you will see the difference, and in 30 you will have a whole new body.’ Joseph Pilates

Pricing
There are various prices for Pilates for Golf sessions depending on your requirements. Here are the latest offers.

Individual one hour Pilates sessions cost £30.

2 People per session £37.

Receive a free Pilates for Golf session when you block book 10 sessions (Individual sessions only).

Group Sessions of 10+ are also available, please call for pricing.

As to the location and time of the sessions, this is entirely your choice. Home visits or the use of gym facilities are available.

Please contact Body Charge on 0870 855 411 for further information.