Can reformer pilates prepare you for change-of-direction sports?
Pilates has become hugely popular, and many people describe it as “resistance training.”
But if your goal is to play sports that involve sprinting, cutting, pivoting and reacting quickly, is reformer Pilates enough?
I recently asked exercise physiologist Dr Stacy Sims exactly that question.
The answer wasn’t that Pilates is “bad” (far from it!) Rather, Dr Sims explained that different types of exercise create different adaptations in the body, and understanding those differences is the key to training smarter.
What you’ll learn
Why reformer Pilates feels like resistance training
What happens inside your nervous system during heavy lifting
Why change-of-direction sports require a different type of strength
What reformer Pilates does exceptionally well
What you should add to your training if you play recreational sport
How to combine Pilates and strength training for better performance
Is reformer pilates resistance training?
Most people describe reformer Pilates as resistance training because you’re working against springs and creating muscular tension.
Technically, that’s true. But according to Dr Stacy Sims, the story doesn’t end there.
Dr Stacy Sims
“Yes, it feels like it’s resistance training because it’s that isometric contraction against the muscle. You’re getting some metabolic changes with regards to that isometric contraction. You’re getting postural strength…”
At this point, it’s important to distinguish between different kinds of strength adaptations.
Pilates creates muscular tension, improves control and develops endurance in those contractions.
However, the demands of running, cutting, jumping and changing direction are very different.
Why change-of-direction sports are different
Sports that involve rapid changes of direction ask your body to produce force quickly and react instantly.
Think about movements involved in:
Tennis
Pickleball
Netball
Football
Basketball
Skiing
Trail running
Surfing
In these activities, your body is accelerating, stopping, changing direction, reacting, producing force rapidly. And those movements rely heavily on your nervous system.
The hidden piece: your nervous system
One of the most interesting parts of my conversation with Dr Sims was her explanation of what heavy resistance training actually develops.
Dr Stacy Sims
“You’re getting postural strength, but you’re not actually developing that central nervous system response for muscle contraction.”
This is a concept many people never think about. Because strength is about teaching your brain and nervous system to recruit muscle fibres quickly and efficiently.
That’s what allows you to:
react faster
generate more force
change direction efficiently
move explosively when needed
For sports that require agility, those neural adaptations become incredibly important.
Why heavy strength training produces different adaptations
Dr Sims explains that heavy resistance training creates adaptations that reformer Pilates isn’t designed to produce.
Dr Stacy Sims
“We need a neural adaptation to stimulate more lean mass development, to stimulate myosin-actin bonding together for strong contraction, and to stimulate more acetylcholine to create a fast nerve conduction.”
In simpler terms…
Heavy lifting trains the communication between your brain and muscles.
That communication allows you to generate force more quickly—something that’s essential when you need to sprint, stop suddenly or change direction.
What reformer pilates does brilliantly
This isn’t an argument against Pilates.
Reformer Pilates has enormous value.
It can help improve posture, core control, body awareness, balance, mobility, movement quality, muscular endurance, rehabilitation... These qualities are valuable for both everyday life and sport.
The key is recognising where Pilates excels, and where other forms of training become important.
What pilates doesn’t replicate for sporting performance
As Dr Sims explains:
Dr Stacy Sims
“When we’re doing isometric contraction like the Pilates reformer, you’re not getting that same neural adaptation. Again, it’s more of a metabolic response of how hard and how long can I hold that muscle contraction, which is more fuel-driven rather than neural and central nervous system-driven.”
That distinction matters; pilates develops one type of adaptation and heavy strength training develops another.
If your goal is performing well in sports that involve quick reactions and rapid changes of direction, both have a place, but they aren’t interchangeable.
Coach Loretta’s take
One of the biggest mistakes I see is people assuming they have to choose one style of training.If you love reformer Pilates, keep doing it.
But if you also want to feel stronger, more powerful and more confident playing sport, I’d encourage you to complement it with progressive strength training.
Here’s how I advice my athletes who play change of direction sports:
lift heavier loads
single-leg strength work
power exercises
jumping and landing drills (where appropriate)
rotational strength
exercises that improve force production and stability
You don’t have to replace reformer Pilates. But if your goal is to perform better in sports that require rapid changes of direction, the science suggests it shouldn’t be your only form of resistance training.
Ready to put the science into practice?
Understanding the science is one thing, but knowing how to apply it is another. Knowledge without action doesn’t change performance.
That’s why I created my 12-Week At-Home Training Guide. It walks you through the key movement patterns, progressive exercises and training principles that help build real-world strength and resilience. Whether your goal is to feel stronger in everyday life or perform better in the sports you love my guide helps you build practical strength at home.
Summary
Reformer Pilates provides valuable resistance exercise but creates different adaptations from heavy strength training.
Change-of-direction sports rely heavily on your nervous system’s ability to produce force quickly.
Progressive strength training develops neural adaptations that Pilates alone doesn’t target.
Pilates and strength training work best together—not against each other.
This article is based on a conversation between Loretta Hogg and Dr Stacy Sims and is intended for educational purposes.
Interview source
Hogg, L., & Sims, S. (2025). Can reformer Pilates prepare you for change-of-direction sports?
Open Access Scientific literature
Aslam, S., Habyarimana, J. D. D., & Shi, Y. B. (2025). Neuromuscular adaptations to resistance training in elite versus recreational athletes. Frontiers in Physiology, 16, Article 1598149.
Rong, W., Geok, S. K., Samsudin, S., Zhao, Y., Ma, H., ... & Zhang, X. (2025). Effects of strength training on neuromuscular adaptations in the development of maximal strength: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Scientific Reports, 15, Article 19315.
Saeterbakken, A. H., Stien, N., Paulsen, G., Behm, D. G., Andersen, V., Solstad, T. E. J., ... & Prieske, O. (2025). Task specificity of dynamic resistance training and its transferability to non-trained isometric muscle strength: A systematic review with meta-analysis. Sports Medicine, 55, 1651–1676.
Škarabot, J., Brownstein, C. G., Casolo, A., Del Vecchio, A., & Ansdell, P. (2021). The knowns and unknowns of neural adaptations to resistance training. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 121(3), 675–685.
Additional reading
American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) position stands on resistance training.
National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) resources on strength and power development.
Peer-reviewed research on neuromuscular adaptations to resistance training. Neuromuscular adaptations to resistance training in elite versus recreational athletes.
A Note on the Evidence
One of my goals with these articles is to base my recommendations on the best available scientific evidence, not trends or opinions. Wherever possible, I prioritise high-quality research conducted in women. Unfortunately, the reality is that women remain significantly underrepresented in sport and exercise science research, meaning many of the studies we have are either conducted primarily in men or include too few women to draw female-specific conclusions.
When female-specific research doesn't yet exist, I will always refer to the highest-quality evidence available, including systematic reviews, meta-analyses and well-designed studies, while making it clear where the evidence is stronger and where we're still learning. Exercise science is evolving rapidly, particularly in women's health, and I fully expect many of these recommendations to become more refined over the coming years.
If you are aware of new peer-reviewed research that you think would improve these articles, I'd genuinely love to see it. Please email it to podcast@lorettaloveslifting.com. My goal is to keep these resources as accurate, evidence-based and up to date as possible.
Comments