New Research Suggests That Reformer Pilates Might.
When most coaches hear the word “Pilates,” they think of flexibility classes, rehabilitation programs, or general fitness. Improving passing accuracy, sprint performance, and agility? Probably not.
However, a recent randomized controlled trial on soccer athletes is a great conversation starter for incorporating Pilates as a tool in training. Researchers investigated whether adding Pilates training to regular soccer training could improve physical performance and technical skills in amateur soccer players. More importantly, they compared mat Pilates and reformer Pilates to determine which method produces the greatest performance benefits.
Over eight weeks, thirty amateur male soccer players were randomly assigned to one of three groups: reformer Pilates, mat Pilates, or a control group that continued normal soccer training. Both Pilates groups completed three Pilates sessions per week in addition to their regular soccer training (all programs designed by qualified athlete coaches and researchers on collaboration with Pilates instructors).
The results were very interesting.
Players in the reformer Pilates group improved nearly every performance measure tested. Countermovement jump height increased from 41.2 cm to 45.3 cm, standing broad jump distance improved by approximately 13 cm, and single-leg triple-hop performance improved substantially on both legs. Reformer Pilates athletes also demonstrated faster 10 m and 20 m sprint times, improved agility, better balance, greater flexibility, and enhanced soccer-specific skills such as dribbling speed, passing performance, and lobbed passing accuracy.
The mat Pilates group also improved, but the gains were more selective. Athletes showed improvements in balance, agility, short-distance sprint performance (5 m and 10 m), single-leg hop performance, dribbling speed, and passing accuracy. However, they did not experience the same improvements in flexibility, jumping performance, or longer sprint distances that were observed in the reformer group.
Perhaps most importantly, when the researchers directly compared the two interventions, reformer Pilates produced significantly greater improvements in agility, passing performance, and single-leg explosive power than mat Pilates.
Why Might Pilates Work?
Soccer is not simply a game of strength and conditioning. Success depends on balance, body control, coordination, force transfer, and the ability to execute technical skills under pressure.
Pilates emphasizes core stability, neuromuscular control, flexibility, proprioception, and coordinated movement patterns. The reformer machine may provide an additional advantage by introducing external resistance and greater movement variability, potentially increasing neuromuscular demands compared with bodyweight-only mat exercises.
For coaches, this means Pilates is a performance tool. It could serve as a low-impact method for developing qualities that transfer directly to soccer performance.
Practical Applications for Coaches
Rather than replacing strength and conditioning, Pilates should be viewed as a supplement to existing training.
Consider incorporating two to three Pilates sessions per week during preseason or developmental phases when improving movement quality is a priority. If reformer equipment is available, it may offer the greatest return on investment. If not, mat Pilates still appears capable of improving balance, agility, sprint acceleration, and technical execution.
Pilates may be particularly valuable for athletes recovering from heavy training loads, players requiring improved movement efficiency, or teams looking to enhance physical qualities without adding substantial impact stress.
Study Limitations
As encouraging as these findings are, several limitations should be considered.
This is only one study that included 30 young amateur male players, limiting generalizability to female athletes, youth players, professionals, and other sports. The intervention lasted only eight weeks, and nutritional intake was not controlled. Additionally, the sample size was relatively small, meaning larger studies are needed before firm conclusions can be drawn.
Future Research
Future studies should examine whether similar benefits occur in female players, elite athletes, and younger developmental populations. Researchers should also investigate longer training interventions, different training frequencies, injury-related outcomes, and whether Pilates can improve in-game performance metrics rather than laboratory-based tests alone.
Important Consideration-Who Programs!?
Before coaches rush to replace their strength and conditioning programs with Pilates, or Pilates instructors rush to list an athlete focused class on their schedule, it’s important to understand what this study actually investigated.
The researchers examined the effects of a Pilates intervention, not who should prescribe it. While a skilled Pilates instructor brings expertise in movement quality, core control, flexibility, and reformer-based training, competitive athletes often require a broader performance plan that includes strength, power, speed, conditioning, and workload management with strategic fluctuations over a long time period. For this reason, Pilates may be most effective when integrated into a comprehensive athletic development program designed by a qualified strength and conditioning coach, ideally in collaboration with an experienced Pilates practitioner. It is also important to note that a former athlete who does not have proper education, experience and certifications in specifically training athletic populations does not count as a qualified professional coach.
The takeaway is not that Pilates replaces strength and conditioning or that athletes can take a one-off Pilates class marketed for an athlete, but that Pilates is a valuable tool within a well-rounded performance system.
Coach’s Takeaway
The Main Point: Pilates is not just a rehabilitation or flexibility tool.
What this study found: Eight weeks of Pilates improved multiple physical and technical performance measures in amateur soccer players, with reformer Pilates producing the largest gains.
What to do with it: If you have access to reformers, consider integrating Pilates into preseason or performance development programs. If not, mat Pilates still appears to be an effective, low-impact option for improving balance, agility, acceleration, and technical skill execution.
Bottom line: For coaches looking to improve movement quality, athleticism, and soccer-specific skills without increasing high-impact training load, Pilates is a tool worth exploring that must be applied strategically within proper periodization.
SOURCE:
Yılmaz O, Kaplan T, Batalik L. Randomised controlled study on the effects of pilates exercises in soccer: Comparing mat and reformer methods on physical and technical performance. PLoS One. 2025 May 21;20(5):e0324129. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0324129. PMID: 40397911; PMCID: PMC12094727.