Knowing that her journey as triathlete had just begun, she sought a modality to support her long-term goals.

An 80-year-old Pilates instructors at the gym provided Timmerman with the kind of inspiration she had been looking for.

Experts in This Article

Jackie Timmerman is a triathlete and Club Pilates instructor.

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She was a fitness instructor for decades before becoming aClub Pilates instructor herselfin 2019.

Having trained dozens of triathletes, she credits Pilates for helping them to maintain competitive strength through the years.

Timmerman says Pilates is the key to stability during races and training runs.

Two young women practicing ballet with a teacher in the dance hall.

Jackie Timmerman is a triathlete and Club Pilates instructor.

You know how you start to fall forward when youre tripping?

It was pretty interesting.

I was like, Wow, this Pilates stuff really works.

Woman doing hip exercises

I was blown away by how strongly my core fired just to keep me upright.

Timmerman says anyone can benefit from a Pilates routine.

For many athletes, Pilates is that base.

Cropped image of woman doing lunge yoga pose

Youre building the foundation.

Below, Timmerman shares the three Pilates moves for racers.

3 pilates moves for athletes at all levels

1.

Woman in leggings and bra doing Lunge with Arm Extended Up pose hip opener stretch during yoga session in morning at home.

Jackie Timmerman is a triathlete and Club Pilates instructor.

On-and-off planks

People hold planks for upwards of four, five, six minutes, right?

Instead, she says its best to load your planks on and off.

Whether you do these as full-arm planks or forearm planks is up to you, says Timmerman.

Woman doing arm exercise without weights while sitting on mat at home.

Shell stretch

In yoga, shell stretch is referred to as child pose or Balasana.

Shell stretch is a big thing, says Timmerman.

Its recruiting the abdominal wall to draw the head and the tailbone in towards each other.

A woman in sports clothes does yoga or gymnastics at home. Daylight. She smiles

That kind of movement is really key.

Teasers

Timmerman says there are three types of teasers and each is beneficial for stabilizing core muscles.

For an athlete competing in a variety of races such as swimming, cycling, running, etc.

If these are not strong and stable the body cant absorb impact and loses the ability to generate power.

Teasers teach the body to minimize unnecessary movement, thus, [minimizing] wasted energy.

Learn how to do a level-three teaser:

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