Attractive trainer humbles football players with simple Pilates workouts, goes viral

• Sydney footballer struggles with Pilates training
• Videos of athletes exercising become a hot topic on Instagram
• Pilates instructor says more men are trying it

A story about Sydney’s top football team struggling to get through a Pilates class has gone viral, catching the attention of Premier League champions Manchester City.

Players at Hurstville Zagreb FC, based in the Sydney suburb of St George, have been doing reformer Pilates every week for a month with instructor Sami McDonald and are reaping the benefits despite finding the new exercises extremely challenging.

Reformer Pilates is a full-body workout that combines the traditional principles and movements of mat Pilates with the bed-like Reformer machine.

“We prioritised ankle stability and support because footballers put a lot of stress on their ankles and feet when kicking – for example, they do a lot of toe-off movement, lifting the heel up and down,” McDonald told News Corp.

“I think it’s improved my flexibility and mobility. The biggest benefit for men in general is improved mobility in the hip joint area, which isn’t as naturally loose as women’s.”

McDonald’s training has been so popular that players are encouraging other club members to try it out, and McDonald is planning to create more space for training.

“My reformer studio is currently only maxed out at six beds and I’m planning on opening up mat classes so everyone can join, because everyone really wants to train with their teammates,” she said.

Thousands of people have commented on McDonald’s social media posts about his players, with English Premier League champions Manchester City also joining in.

“Never underestimate Pilates,” the club wrote on its official Instagram page.

“Can we please make this a Netflix series?” another commenter said.

“They have no idea how much pain they will be in tomorrow,” a third wrote.

In recent years, world-class footballers such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Jack Grealish have incorporated Pilates into their training, and more men are interested in trying the exercise in general.

McDonald says he’s seen a huge increase in the number of men attending his classes in just the three years he’s been teaching.

“There are at least two guys who attend my general classes regularly every week,” she says.

“These days more and more young men are doing Pilates, but when I started it was mostly middle-aged men. Of course, there are benefits for both.”

McDonald said from her own experience, women and men treat their bodies differently.

“Men have a tendency to ignore injuries, but that’s not something they should do,” she said.

“That’s why it’s so important to raise awareness among men about the benefits of Pilates – to help them understand that it was originally created for physiotherapy and isn’t just for women.”