Pilates and Snowboarding: An interview with Danny Davis
Photo Above: Dean Blotto Gray
When I learned Danny Davis used Pilates to aid in the recovery from his back injury, I was so happy! For the last decade, I have followed Danny’s career as a professional snowboarder, watching intently and cheering him on during the X games and olympic trials. When the opportunity presented itself through a mutual friend to chat with Danny about Pilates, I was so stoked! Below is my favorite snippet from our conversation, but you can watch the full interview here.Sheena: So I knew of your injury, but I did not know that you used Pilates as a form of practice to get yourself back in shape and back to the condition you needed it to be, so I would love to hear!Danny: Yeah! You know, I had broken my back, shattered my pelvis, they had fused my sacrum, and then I had lumbars 2, 3, 4 all fused, in like a cage … so my PT Courtney - she said I needed to learn how to use my pelvic floor area again; I needed to learn how to reactivate it … and she said that pilates was a really great way to activate muscles when you can't have a lot of weight on specific areas - you know, I wasn't walking right off the bat after the accident. So, Pilates was this rad way for my body to just get moving again, pain-free. We could move my hips again! It helped to get my hips to relax when everything was just so locked up … and that's where the Pilates really started for me. She said you need to learn how to activate that [pelvic floor] first because you shut everything down within that area, so let's start there. The beauty that I found with Pilates was … The body is such a puzzle piece when trying to get it to fire again correctly, and that’s where I think Pilates is great. I could get strong in a million different ways, but to be strong efficiently and have everything firing correctly, that's where Pilates helped me.
Photo: Tim Peare
Sport specific training in Pilates allows a skilled instructor to help a boarder increase stability, control, and mobility. Learning to activate deep abdominal support muscles helps keep you out of your lower back muscles. This directly translates into better tricks, faster carving, less fatigue, and decreased risk of lower back pain as you spend your days on the mountain. Whether you are a newbie snowboarder, a novice like myself, or a pro boarder like Danny, Pilates is for everybody and every body, and it will help you do everything you love to do!
Photo: Harry How, Getty Images
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