Why Athletes Need Pilates: Olympian & Freediver Insights

Lisbon is an active city. It's full of run clubs, gyms, movement spaces and has plenty outdoor activities like surfing. That is why we love living here.

In order to effectively perform at any of these activities we need balance and recovery (apart form strength & mobility). This is especially true as we age but want to continue enjoying these activities. And in all fairness, that's kind of the point, right?

This is how and why Anjos Pilates was born!

It was was born from a lifelong connection to movement and high-performance sport. Co-founder Nadia Negm competed in rowing at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, while her co-founder Daniel Droste is a national record-holding freediver, reaching depths of 92 metres, alongside a background in competitive swimming. After years of training at an elite level, both came to understand something many athletes eventually face: performance alone isn’t enough if the body isn’t supported. To many athelets, Pilates can become a way to heal, reconnect, and to build a different kind of strength. With this experience in mind, both athletes have integrated their knowledge into Reformer and Mat Pilates at Anjos Pilates.

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Strength Beyond Power

With all the strength training Athletes do, incorporating progressive overload, they are not strangers to pure resitiance training. However, strength without control often leads to imbalance. That's where Pilates comes in. Pilates focuses on the deeper stabilising muscles that support every movement. Here athletes can learn to move with precision, by developing strength that is not just powerful, but sustainable and precise. This is super useful for rowing as well as for freediving, as every movement needs to be executed efficiently. The same can be said for virtually all other sports.

Pilates for Injury Prevention

Injury is often seen as an inevitable part of any sport. Many Olympians, including Nadia, have had their fair share of injuries. Injuries are often the result of imbalance, overuse, or lack of awareness. Here, Pilates offers a quieter, more intelligent approach. Controlled resistance, alignment, and intentional movement can help correct the small inefficiencies that eventually lead to bigger problems. So, if you're an aspiring athlete in Lisbon or just want to make your sports activity more sustainable for years to come, then a regular Pilates practice would really help.

The Missing Performance link

High-level training can sometimes create distance between the athlete and their body. Some learn to dissociate and to override signals rather than listen to them. Pilates has the ability to restore that connection. And this connection, or awareness, is super improtant! The emphasis is on feeling each movement fully and developing awareness that translates into better performance, improved coordination combined with a deeper sense of control. It’s not just about moving more. It’s about moving efficiently and moving well.

Mobility + Strength, Working Together

Flexibility without strength can be unstable, and being hypermobile, that's something Daniel has struggled with. The same can be said for Strength without mobility, it can be very limiting. That's where Pilates really shines, it bring both together. It's the bridge that lets us become so much more efficient in whichever sport we are focuisng on. In our small Pilates classe here in Lisbon, the movements are designed to strengthen the body through its full range, which creates fluidity, efficiency as well as resilience. This is especially useful for avoiding injury. The result is a body that not only performs, but adapts, and a adaptable body is something every athlete needs.

Refine your training

What sets Anjos Pilates apart is not only our perspective, but also our setup. Our goal is to give you the most value in each class and that is why our classes are small so you get individual feedback, corrections and ultimately can impove as much as possible.

Born from Olympic-level discipline and under the pressure of deep freediving our methods are precise and intuitive. We deeply value quality over quantity, awareness over repetition, and long-term strength over short-term output. This approach is just what most atheletes need! Pilates is often underestimated, but for athletes, it can be transformative. It offers a way to build strength without strain, to prevent injury and to reconnect with the body in a meaningful way. At Anjos Pilates, that philosophy is simple: to help you feel strong, grounded, and truly at home in your body.