Pilates
Shoulder-safe Pilates for swimmers: a 25-minute dryland class for shoulder blades, trunk and hips
Swimming loads your shoulders thousands of times a session, and many swimmers' shoulders are loose rather than tight. This class builds control instead of stretch: shoulder-blade and back-of-shoulder endurance, trunk endurance in a streamlined line, small back extension, the hips for your kick, and upper-back rotation for breathing. In trials in young swimmers, core training made 50 m sprints about a second faster, but no peer-reviewed trial has tested Pilates in swimmers. Use it alongside dryland strength work and the shoulder care routine.
Breathe and upper back
- Thoracic rotation6 each sideBeginner · 3D demoTurn your chest, not your hipsEasier: Side-lying open bookHarder: World's greatest stretch
- Side-lying open book8 each sideBeginner · Back, Chest, Shoulders · 3D demoKeep the top arm low and in front if your shoulder feels looseHarder: Thoracic rotation
Shoulder blades
- Wall angel8 slow slidesBeginner · Back, Shoulders · 3D demoA small range is fineEasier: Table slide (seated forward reach)Harder: Prone Y-T-W raises
- Prone Y-T-W raises10 of the T and 10 of the YBeginner · Back, Shoulders, Neck · 3D demo5 s up, 5 s down; small liftsEasier: Wall angelHarder: Bent-over reverse fly
- Beginner · Shoulders, Chest, Abs · 3D demoOn a wall first if your shoulder is sore or looseEasier: Dumbbell shoulder-blade punchHarder: Push-up
Trunk in a streamline
- Hundred (Pilates)50 beatsIntermediate · Abs, Hip flexors, Shoulders · 3D demoArms pump low by your sidesEasier: Wall hundred (wall Pilates)Harder: Boomerang (Pilates)
- Dead bug2 × 8 each sideBeginner · Abs, Hip flexors · 3D demoArms only to shoulder height if your shoulder is soreEasier: Dead bug heel tapsHarder: Forearm plank
- Single-leg stretch (Pilates one leg stretch)8 each sideIntermediate · Abs, Hip flexors, Neck · 3D demoLong legs, like a flutterEasier: Chest lift (Pilates curl-up)Harder: Single straight-leg stretch (Pilates scissors)
- Knee side plank2 holds of 20 s each sideBeginner · Abs, Hip abductors, Shoulders · 3D demoOn your forearm; skip it with a painful or unstable shoulderHarder: Side plank
Back extension, kept small
- Intermediate · Back, Glutes, Triceps · 3D demoA small lift; skip it if arching hurtsEasier: Mermaid (Pilates seated side bend)Harder: Double-leg kick (Pilates double kick)
- Swimming (Pilates)2 sets of 20 sIntermediate · Back, Glutes, Shoulders · 3D demoArms by your sides if your shoulder is soreEasier: Mermaid (Pilates seated side bend)Harder: Leg pull back (Pilates leg pull up)
Hips for your kick
- Side kick (Pilates side kick series)8 each sideBeginner · Hip flexors, Glutes, Hip abductors · 3D demoPelvis stillHarder: Side-lying leg circles (Pilates side kick series)
- Clamshell10 each sideBeginner · Hip abductors, Glutes · 3D demoLift only as far as your pelvis stays stillEasier: Supine isometric hip abduction (belt press)Harder: Lateral band walk
- Shoulder bridge (Pilates)3 kicks each legIntermediate · Glutes, Hamstrings, Abs · 3D demoPelvis levelEasier: Wall bridge (feet-on-wall bridge)Harder: Leg pull back (Pilates leg pull up)
Only if you need it
- Cross-body shoulder stretch5 × 30 s on the tighter sideBeginner · Shoulders, Back · 3D demoOnly if turning your arm inwards is stiffer on one side; skip it if your shoulder feels loose or has dislocatedHarder: Sleeper stretch
Tips
- Once or twice a week, after easier pool sessions or on separate days, for at least 8 weeks, the length of most core training trials. Keep your dryland strength sessions too.
- If your shoulder feels loose, never hang at the end of a stretch: stop or shrink any move that feels as if it might slip.
- Discomfort up to about 5 out of 10 that settles by the next session is fine; sharp, pinching or worsening pain isn't.
- Butterfly or breaststroke back pain: keep the swan and swimming small, or skip them.
- Swimming doesn't build bone, and neither does mat Pilates: add impact work on land.
The doses are suggested starting points, not a prescription. Choose a range you can control and stop for sharp or increasing pain, numbness or tingling. Get individual advice after an injury or surgery, or if you are pregnant or managing a health condition.
Guides that recommend it
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How long does the shoulder-safe pilates for swimmers: a 25-minute dryland class for shoulder blades, trunk and hips take?
About 25 minutes, including any warm-up and cool-down listed. Shorten it by doing fewer rounds; lengthen it by adding one.
What equipment do I need?
You need: A wall. Each move links to its guide, where you can find an alternative if you are missing something.
Is it suitable for beginners?
It is written for beginners. 11 of its 16 moves have an easier option listed beside them if you need one.
How do I make it easier or harder?
Use the easier or harder option listed under each move, change the number of rounds, or adjust the rest. Progress one change at a time.