More men should do Pilates to build strength and flexibility, says NFL Hall-of-Famer Cris Carter

Cris Carter, NFL Hall of Famer and Club Pilates member, loves that Club Pilates has helped him improve his flexibility, lose weight, and treat lingering injuries from his playing career — and he believes it could help current players to be stronger, more flexible, and last longer.

 NFL players — and men in general — should stop sidelining Pilates as a women's workout if they want to improve their endurance and reduce their injury risk, according to one Hall-of-Famer. 

Former Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Cris Carter started doing Pilates with Club Pilates before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, but wished he'd found out about it earlier.

He says it has helped him improve his flexibility, lose weight, and treat lingering injuries from his playing career — and he believes it could help current players to be stronger, more flexible, and last longer. 

"My wife got me involved right before the pandemic," Carter told Insider. "After I got through my first 50 or so workouts I could really start to see I was really enjoying it, and through the pandemic that was really the only safe place to go and work out. So I fell in love with it, I've taken close to 250 classes over the last two years."

Pilates has traditionally been associated with women's fitness —  the most recent data by the Pilates Method Alliance found that 96% of Pilates clients were female — and Carter says men are missing a valuable trick.

"I wish more men would get involved with it," he said. "I believe it's a hidden gem that a lot of football players have not discovered. Whatever they think about pilates and whatever they think about the platform, pilates is completely different."