FOOTBALL AND PILATES: POSTURE CONTROL AND ENHANCING MUSCLE

The study was conducted on a sample of 20 elderly athletes practicing football in order to verify the effectiveness of the method Pilates, unconventional, to improve the competitive performance. The athletes were subject to a screening to verify their posture with the SIAS measurement, carried out with the subject supine, calculating the distance between the anterior superior iliac spine and tibial malleolus. The measurement showed also differences of few millimeters between the two lower limbs despite the natural compensatory mechanism of adaptation of the postural system has determined that the quadriceps muscle hypertrophy limb longer, because of the higher load, and the resulting hypotonia limb shorter. The staff chose to use the unconventional Pilates method to propose just one sample of 10 athletes because it can be practiced both outdoors and inside the gym. Method The research was conducted with an observational, detection with manual and computerized method, from October 2013 to May 2014, with the speed test and diversified technical tests. The athletes were divided into group A and group B, and participated in all the training provided by the technical staff. Only the group B, consisting of 10 athletes, was given 30 additional sessions of Pilates workout that helped improve postural control, occurred with the speed test performed with and without the ball on a slalom course of 20 meters, and the strengthening muscle, occurred with the increase in the percentage of accuracy of shots on goal. Results and Conclusions The final results verified at the end vintage racing, have denoted a performance improvement with particular reference to the percentage of accuracy of shots on goal, estimated at about 2.5-3%. Athletes of group B, who claimed to have received benefits after participating in extra sessions with the Pilates method, as they have found a uniform muscle toning and improved control of breathing, have denoted the greatest percentage increase, but also some athletes of group A , motivated to perform workouts with greater concentration, showed an improvement in the performance of a few percentage points. The study has demonstrated the effectiveness of using unconventional methods to improve sports performance.