Three Pilates Exercises Every Footballer Should Add to Their Training

With the World Cup capturing the attention of football fans around the globe, it’s easy to focus on the goals, tackles, and moments of brilliance that happen on the pitch. Yet behind every elite performance is a training programme designed to build strength and support long-term resilience.

While strength training, conditioning, and recovery protocols are well-established parts of an athlete’s routine, Pilates is increasingly being recognised for its ability to develop control, stability, mobility, and body awareness — all essential components of athletic performance.

We spoke with Anesti Mano, Instructor and owner of Algo Pilates Studio, who shared three Pilates exercises footballers and athletes can incorporate into their training to support strength development, movement efficiency, and injury prevention.

Long Stretch Exercise

The Long Stretch is a challenging full-body exercise that requires strength, stability, and coordination from head to toe.
Benefits include:

• Develops wrist and forearm strength
• Improves shoulder stability
• Strengthens core activation
• Enhances full-body integration and control

Building Full-Body Strength & Stability

Football is a full-body sport. Whether shielding the ball, absorbing contact, or changing direction at speed, athletes need the ability to transfer force efficiently through the body while maintaining control.

“The Long Stretch challenges upper-body stability while maintaining trunk control under movement,” Anesti explains. “For football players, this translates into stronger shoulder support during contact situations, improved force transfer through the body, and greater stability during high-speed movements.”

By teaching the body to work as one connected system, this exercise helps athletes build the kind of strength that directly supports sporting performance.

Front Standing Splits Exercise

Many sporting movements happen on one leg at a time, making unilateral strength and control essential for both performance and injury prevention. Front Standing Splits challenge balance, coordination, and lower-body stability while building strength in the ankles, knees, and hips. Benefits include:

• Builds ankle stability and strength
• Challenges balance and coordination
• Supports knee health
• Improves lower-body strength and control

Standing Side Splits Exercise

Football is rarely linear. Players constantly move sideways to defend, evade opponents, and react to changing situations. Yet lateral movement is often undertrained compared to forward and backward movement patterns.

Standing Side Splits address this by strengthening the muscles responsible for lateral stability and control.

Benefits include:

• Strengthens the adductors and abductors
• Improves lateral stability and pelvic control
• Challenges balance and coordination
• Enhances hip mobility and lower-body control

Improving Lateral Strength & Injury Resilience

Strong hips and groin muscles play a critical role in acceleration, deceleration, and rapid directional changes.

“Lateral strength and control are essential in football for quick directional changes, defensive positioning, and reducing groin-related injuries,” explains Anesti. “Standing Side Splits help build resilience through the frontal plane, which is often overlooked in traditional training programmes.”

By training the body to move confidently in multiple directions, athletes can improve performance while reducing the likelihood of common lower-body injuries.

Why Pilates Belongs in Every Athlete’s Training Plan

Football demands strength, speed, agility, and control, but performing at a high level isn’t just about producing force; it’s about moving efficiently and consistently under pressure.

Pilates complements traditional athletic training by developing stability, coordination, and mobility, helping athletes create a stronger foundation for performance. Whether it’s maintaining control during rapid changes of direction, improving balance on a single leg, or building resilience against injury, Pilates trains qualities that transfer directly to sport.

As more athletes incorporate Pilates into their training routines, it’s becoming clear that better movement can be just as important as greater strength.