Pilates Blog

Amber Yancey Pilates instructor of the Washington Redskins Cheerleaders introduced New Pilates exercise regimen

“I know the demands of being a professional dancer and have put together a workout that will help the ladies improve their core strength and flexibility, but most importantly it will help to prevent injury,”

“Traditional high impact gym workouts are not always ideal for dancers, because they add additional impact to already overloaded joints and ligaments. Pilates is known as ‘the dancer’s workout’ because while it is an intense form of body conditioning, there is absolutely no impact.

“Pilates helps to sculpt the body into long-lean looking lines. These ladies already look fabulous and adding the Pilates method to their strenuous rehearsal routine will help them.” Thanks to Amber, the Washington Redskins Cheerleaders will be in top shape when they leave for Cancun, Mexico for their annual Swimsuit Calendar photo shoot.

Cheerleaders need to be agile and flexible in order to perform various dance moves. Moreover, they are required to be high-spirited and energetic owing to the demanding nature of their profession – cheering their sports team at various professional competitions and training sessions. Pilates training is a specific and unique physical conditioning system perfectly suited for a cheerleader.

Pilates is hugely popular among dancers, actors and athletes as well as among those individuals who are recovering from an injury or even those who are just bored of high-intensive, sweat inducing workouts. The Pilates environment is especially suitable for cheerleaders, since their professional requires them to be constantly around adrenaline-rushing events and noisy atmosphere. Pilates classes are peaceful and relaxed, and, because they demand intense concentration, are reputed to be as mentally refreshing as they are physically challenging. Most of the exercises can be easily performed on a Pilates mat. Some workouts are done by using special equipment like the Pilates Reformer, Ring, Stability Ball, The Wunda chair, Cadillac-Trapeze etc.

Cheer-leading And Injuries

Cheerleading is considered to be a competitive athletic activity. Cheerleading competitions are held at regional and national levels, and training is a year-round activity. Also, cheerleading is a year-round activity and it requires the athlete to participate in a variety of activities, including dances, chants and yells, gymnastic tumbling runs, and partner stunts. Partner stunts include human pyramids, lifts and catches, and human tosses. Like all other physical activities, each of these components also bring with them injury risks.

The most common types of cheerleading injuries are ligament sprains and muscle strains. Some of the other injuries faced by cheerleaders are ankle injuries, neck and head injuries, shoulder pulls, and chronic back pain.

Benefits of Pilates for Cheerleaders

Pilates exercises condition and tone core spinal, abdominal, hip and upper legs muscle groups. They also lengthen, strengthen and correct muscular and skeletal imbalances. With the help of Pilates, cheerleaders can enhance their performance and improve their techniques.

Several Pilates moves help in chronic back pain, knee and ankle injuries and fatigue that often bother active cheerleaders. Pilates exercises facilitate smooth and continuous movements. By developing proper techniques, it actually prepares the body to move in safer, more efficient patterns of motion resulting good posture and health, fast recovery from illnesses. Conventional workouts tend to build short, bulky muscles, the type more prone to injury. Pilates exercises augments muscles’ elasticity. A body with balanced strength and flexibility is less likely to be injured.

Pilates strengthens the powerhouse muscles of a cheerleader – the abdomen, lower back and buttocks, thus creating an extremely strong core that will support all the other movements required by the cheerleader. Pilates moves can be light enough for a pregnant woman and intensive enough for very active athletes such as ballet dancers and football players. Cheerleaders can benefit immensely from Pilates since these exercises provide an ideal combination of relaxation and intensity required by cheerleaders.

Pilates exercises are also great for rehabilitation after injuries and for getting back in shape. However, it is important to train under the auspices of a certified Pilates instructor in order to get maximum benefit of this unique workout.

written by PalmBeach