- Sydney football players fight during pilates training
- Viral video of players exercising has gone viral on Instagram
- A Pilates instructor says more and more men are trying this exercise
A top Sydney football team has gone viral for struggling to get through a Pilates class, even attracting the attention of Premier League champions Manchester City.
Hurstville Zagreb FC players, who are based in the Sydney suburb of St George, have been practicing Reformer Pilates weekly for a month with instructor Sami McDonald and are reaping the benefits despite struggling with the new exercises.
Reformer Pilates is a full-body workout that combines the traditional principles and movements of mat Pilates with a bed-like Reformer machine.
“Soccer players put a lot of weight on their ankles and feet when kicking, so I’ve prioritized ankle stability and support; for example, we do a lot of things on our toes when they raise and lower their heels,” he said. McDonald. news corporation.
‘I think his flexibility and mobility have improved; The biggest benefit for men overall is better mobility in the hip region, which is not as naturally loose as that of women.’
Players from Sydney club Hurstville Zagreb FC have been doing weekly Pilates Reformer classes with instructor Sami McDonald, and are completely out of their element.
McDonald’s workouts have been so popular that players are asking other club members to try them too, and McDonald plans to get more space to work out.
“My renovation studio is limited to six beds right now, so I have plans to create a mat class so I can accommodate everyone because they are so interested in joining their teammates,” she said.
Thousands of people have commented on the players’ post on McDonald’s social media, and even English Premier League champion Manchester City weighed in.
“Never underestimate Pilates,” the club wrote on its official Instagram page.
‘Can we make a Netflix series out of this, please?’ said another commenter.
“You have no idea the pain you will suffer tomorrow,” wrote a third.
World-class footballers such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Jack Grealish have incorporated Pilates into their training in recent years, and there are generally more men willing to try the exercise.
McDonald says he has seen a huge increase in the number of men attending his classes in just the three years he has been teaching.
Sami McDonald (pictured) says the biggest benefit of exercise for men in general is better mobility in the hip region.
Sami says he has prioritized ankle stability and support with footballers, who sometimes struggle with the new routines he has introduced to them.
The instructor believes that more and more men have discovered exercise in recent years.
“In my general classes I have at least two men who come regularly every week,” he said.
“I’ve recently seen an increase in younger men doing Pilates, whereas when I started it was more middle-aged men, but both can benefit, of course.”
McDonald said that in her experience, women and men treat their bodies differently.
“If men suffer an injury, they tend to ignore it and that’s not what they’re supposed to do,” he said.
“That’s why it’s so important to raise men’s awareness of the benefits of Pilates, so they understand that it was initially done for physiotherapy and that it’s not just a female exercise.”