PILATES

A brief history of Pilates. . .

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Pilates is an extremely versatile form of exercise that was developed by Joseph Pilates (1883-1967) and his wife, Clara, around the beginning of the 20th century.

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Although Joseph was a sickly child he grew up to be a model for physical health. He believed that there is a healing element to movement and was able to develop his own style of exercise based on this prinicple during his time as a German in a Brtish internment camp during World War 1.

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In addition to teaching his fellow internees his physical fitness techniques Joseph used his occupation as a nurse at the Isle of Man to attatch springs to the beds of those who could not walk so that they may still move their joints and tone their muscles.

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Once the war was over, Joseph and his wife, Clara, moved to New York where they opened up the first Pilates studio and further developed and taught their methods. Between the two of them Pilates gained a following mainly consisting of ballet dancers and celebrities drawn to the graceful yet challenging demands of this new form of exercise. 

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Joseph designed several "apparatuses" which we now know to be the Reformer, Cadillac and Stability Chair based on his original use of springs and hospital beds. Clara worked very closely with a small group of trainees known as the "Pilates Elders" and passed on the tradition, emphasizing the improtance of letting their methods evolve to suit individuals and their needs.

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Since then Pilates has evolved as a practice to reflect the increasing understanding of human biomechanics as well as technological advancements that have greatly improved and expanded upon the use of Pilates equipment. Although ever-changing, Pilates is deeply rooted in not only the movements established by Joseph and Clara, but also in the core principles identified below.