Who Was Joseph Pilates?
Joseph Pilates was a circus performer and a boxer living in England at the outbreak of WWI. After he was placed in an internment camp, he began developing a series of floor exercises, called 'Contrology'. These exercises were based on concepts Pilates himself developed over a 20 year period of self-study and practice in yoga, Zen Buddhism, and the ancient Greek idealism that man is perfected in development of body, mind and spirit. These exercises evolved into what we call Pilates Mat Exercises today.
Eventually, Joseph Pilates was transferred to the Isle of Man, where he was a nurse/caretaker for the many detainees sick with disease and physical injury. It was here, where he took his method of Contrology further by devising equipment to rehabilitate his patients. He took springs from the beds and rigged them to create resistance and movement for the bedridden. Hence, the birth of the apparatus we now call the 'Reformer'.
Joseph immigrated to the United States around 1925. He founded a studio in New York City with his wife, Clara, and soon established a strong following in the performing arts community. Well-known dancers such as George Balanchine, Eve Gentry and Martha Graham became devotees and regularly sent their students to the studio for training and rehabilitation. Joseph and Clara directly taught and supervised their students well into the 1960s.
Today, the Pilates method is a full-body conditioning program consisting of over 1,000 exercises performed on a mat or apparatus. It works well for a wide range of people including athletes, dancers, seniors, pre- and postnatal women, and people who are at various stages of physical rehabilitation. Pilates is also a safe and highly recommended method of training for individuals experiencing debilitating diseases such as fibromyalgia, arthritis, hypertension and most types of cancer.
Eventually, Joseph Pilates was transferred to the Isle of Man, where he was a nurse/caretaker for the many detainees sick with disease and physical injury. It was here, where he took his method of Contrology further by devising equipment to rehabilitate his patients. He took springs from the beds and rigged them to create resistance and movement for the bedridden. Hence, the birth of the apparatus we now call the 'Reformer'.
Joseph immigrated to the United States around 1925. He founded a studio in New York City with his wife, Clara, and soon established a strong following in the performing arts community. Well-known dancers such as George Balanchine, Eve Gentry and Martha Graham became devotees and regularly sent their students to the studio for training and rehabilitation. Joseph and Clara directly taught and supervised their students well into the 1960s.
Today, the Pilates method is a full-body conditioning program consisting of over 1,000 exercises performed on a mat or apparatus. It works well for a wide range of people including athletes, dancers, seniors, pre- and postnatal women, and people who are at various stages of physical rehabilitation. Pilates is also a safe and highly recommended method of training for individuals experiencing debilitating diseases such as fibromyalgia, arthritis, hypertension and most types of cancer.