5 NFL Wide Receivers Who Love Pilates

When you think about the NFL and what their exercise routine would look like, Pilates is definitely not the first thing that comes to mind. We often think that exercise routines such as yoga and Pilates are for the average man. But, when it comes to the sporting arena, this is not something that we ideally see in the NFL space.

Well, these 7 NFL Wide Receivers have changed this mentality forever and are still influencing others in the space of sports. Pilates can improve flexibility, balance and strength. And what better way to incorporate these results in your daily life than with sports.

Pilates emphasizes elongating the muscles and creating space between the joints, while simultaneously building stability. Increased range of motion can help prevent injury and promote career longevity. Especially for those in highly mobile positions, like wide receivers, Pilates can facilitate more efficient movement on the field.

These NFL receivers have started a new trend and are complimenting their weight training with Pilates.

Calvin Johnson 

 

Photo Source: www.celebrity-days.blogspot.in

Back in 2007, performance coach Tom Shaw recruited Pilates instructor Sarah Picot to work with his NFL Draft hopefuls, including 6-foot-5, 240-pound receiver Calvin Johnson. He wanted to supplement all of the hard work they’d been doing on the field with something that might relieve muscle tension and tightness.

“[Picot] knew more about flexibility than we did, and we learned the more flexible you are, the faster you’re going to be,” Johnson told Sports Illustrated at the time.

Johnson was among the players who were very receptive to Pilates. He worked with Picot primarily on core strength, muscle efficiency and balance, and hip and hamstring flexibility.

“People look at Pilates as sort of a girls’ exercise,” Picot told SI, “You can ask one of those men I worked with . . . how much we kicked their butts. They were shaking, they were sweating, they were uncomfortable. And then afterwards they felt calm, relaxed, loose.”