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Real Dads Do Pilates

Movement & Motherhood
REAL DADS DO PILATES

By: Kristin Colsky Gavin | June 1, 2023

I am eternally grateful for the fathers in my life, including my own wonderful dad and my husband, loving father to our baby boy. I want them to be healthy and strong and to be able to engage in the daily activities that they love, including playing with their adoring son and grandchild for their entire lives. Fathers, like mothers, are endlessly busy and constantly pulled in multiple directions, and sometimes their health and self-care can slip down on the list of priorities. But, it is so important to stay active and incorporate movement into daily life in order to maintain a healthy body and mind.

While Pilates is often seen as a form of exercise for women, it was actually originally developed a century ago by a man for men. As an instructor, I have seen how much men love Pilates once they discover and begin to understand it. Here are just a few of the ways that it can support the dads in your life:

1) Pilates can improve performance in sports and other athletic pursuits.
Many dads have their favorite hobby, sport, or physical activity that they love, whether it be golf, running, cycling, weight training, hiking, or basketball. The focus on the core in Pilates can aid in all athletic endeavors, as well as daily life in general. Pilates helps to increase flexibility, strength, balance, coordination, precision, power, and more. While it has been popular with dancers for a while, more and more professional athletes of various sports who are seeking a competitive edge are realizing the benefits of the method. But you do not have to be a competitive athlete to benefit - the average dad who wants to stay functionally fit and mentally strong for himself and his family can derive so much value from Pilates. Often men who lift weights, for example, focus on the larger muscles of the body, like the quadriceps, biceps, and the rectus abdominis (“6-pack muscle”), and undertrain other smaller muscles, which can throw off the balance in the body. Similarly, a dad who loves to run or cycle is mainly working in the sagittal plane, where forward and backward movements occur. This can mean that he is not doing much lateral movement and that the side body could likely use some strengthening. Pilates can reveal an imbalance or weak area in your body that you may have overlooked and can help you to restore that balance, thereby taking you to the next level in your sport.

2) It can help prevent - and rehabilitate - injuries.
When you have a strong core and a balanced, evenly conditioned body that is both strong and flexible, you are less likely to succumb to injuries. If you do sustain an injury, Pilates is great for rehabilitating and helping you get back to what you love to do. Because of the modification possibilities, an instructor can work around your injury to help you stay in shape while you are recovering and can also help you strengthen that part of your body and the parts that support it. Strengthening the entire core and working on correct alignment and posture can also decrease back pain, which is so common these days. Daily horseplay with kids can take a toll on fathers’ bodies if their core is weak and muscles imbalanced. Dads need to do what they can to stay healthy to keep up with the day-to-day of life with children, work, and other responsibilities.

3) The mind/body element of Pilates can help with concentration, focus, and stress relief.
Joseph Pilates described his method as “complete coordination of body, mind, and spirit.” The idea of powering through an exercise will not do you much good in Pilates. Instead, it emphasizes controlled, precise movement, proper form and body alignment, and brings awareness to exactly what you are doing and what you are working. Using the breath to flow through different movements connects the mind to the body and will allow you to emerge feeling rejuvenated, centered, and ready to take on anything that your day may bring. Dads can support their physical and mental health and release some of the stresses associated with parenthood by incorporating daily movement, such as Pilates. It can help them to concentrate and focus more clearly on any obstacles that inevitably come their way. Moreover, learning to focus on the breath can be a simple tool to help dads find more calm in their lives.

4) You can do it for life.
Dads of any age can start and maintain a Pilates practice. I started teaching my own dad ten years ago, and he is still going strong, usually getting in a couple of sessions a week. Because it is generally low impact and there are so many possible modifications and progressions, anyone can be challenged by Pilates, and it can be a lifelong pursuit that will enrich your quality of life. Incorporating movement most days can also be a fun way to bond with your partner and family. You can set an example and show your children what it means to take care of yourself and to prioritize your own health. Even just 10 or 15 minutes a day a few days a week can make a difference and create a positive habit that will produce results over time.

There are so many ways that dads can benefit from practicing Pilates, including core strengthening, improved posture, more flexibility, less stress, and more mental clarity. From dads who train hard every day to dads who have never set foot in a gym, Pilates has something to offer and can be a practice that will support and carry them through the changing seasons of life.

Kristin Colsky Gavin is a native of Sausalito and lives there now with her husband, John, and her two-year-old son, William. She is a UC Berkeley graduate and Pilates instructor with ten years of experience and her own business, Kristin Gavin Pilates. Kristin has worked with all kinds of bodies, ages, and fitness levels but has a particular passion for working with pregnant and postpartum clients. She is also studying to consult on nutrition for pregnancy, postpartum, and babies. Contact her at kristin@kristingavinpilates.com. Website coming soon!

When not practicing or teaching Pilates, Kristin can be found swimming, practicing yoga, hiking the trails of Marin, cooking, writing, studying languages, traveling near and far, and spending time with her family. She started open water swimming several years ago and has completed the Alcatraz to San Francisco swim three times.