History of Pilates

Pilates, pronounced [pi-lah-teez], is a form of exercise designed by German-born Joseph Pilates (1880-1967) during the early 20th century. Many people are surprised to know that Pilates was in fact a man. As a child he suffered from asthma, rickets and rheumatic fever. He used exercise as a form of therapy to overcome his illnesses, which at the time was looked upon as silly. Exercise to improve health? Preposterous! Today exercise is a must to improve health and well being. Joseph Pilates was a genius and way ahead of his time. He is even quoted as saying, "I'm fifty years ahead of my time".

He called his method Contrology because he believed that you must use your mind to control the muscles of your body. Later his work became known as Pilates by his students.

During the first World War Joseph Pilates was placed in an internment camp in England with other German nationals. It was there he refined his method of exercise while rehabilitating injured soldiers. Pilates took the springs from their mattresses and rigged them in such a way that the bedridden soldiers could continue to stay healthy by exercising in bed. The spring resistance helped them stay strong and rumor has it that during an influenza epidemic in England during 1918, thousands of people died, but not a single one of Pilates trainees. These machines were a rough model of the popular Pilates machines we know today called the Universal Reformer and Cadillac. In addition to his apparatus work Joseph Pilates first developed a series of mat exercises.

In 1926 Joseph Pilates came to the Unites States and opened up his studio in New York City. He met his wife Clara on the journey over to the states. His studio was housed in the same building as the New York City Ballet and he quickly become known as the man who could heal injuries fast. Many of his students and later teachers were dancers. Today many people still believe that Pilates is about dance or only good for dancers, but we now know that this idea is a complete misconception.

Joe believed that when focusing the mind on the muscles you can achieve greater strength, flexibility and mental balance. The Pilates method focuses on six major principles: breath, centering, concentration, control, precision and flowing movement.

The Pilates Method is used by many people regardless of age, sex or athletic level to strengthen our muscles from the inside out, specifically your deep postural muscles of the torso. Pilates helps you stand up tall, relief back pain, increases range of motion and lung capacity, as well as tone your entire body without putting undue stress on your joints. Pilates can be adapted for everyone, and is perfect for those with injuries, athletes, pre and post-natal and the inflexible.

There are many photographs of Joseph Pilates wearing exercise trunks and during the winter months in New York he would be seen jogging around town wearing nothing but those trunks. Pilates died in 1967 at the age of 87, but many people believe he died prematurely from smoke inhalation from a fire in his studio.

His Pilates studio on Eighth Avenue in New York City is now currently operated by Pilates elder Romana Kryzanowska, who continues Joseph's original method. For further understanding of Joseph Pilates' method I recommend reading his two books, Return to Life through Contrology (1928) and Your Health: A Corrective System of Exercising That Revolutionizes the Entire Field of Physical Education (1934).