Joseph Pilates was born near Düsseldorf, Germany in 1880.
Very little is known about his early life, but according to various biographies,
he appears to have been a frail child, suffering from asthma, rickets and
rheumatic fever. His drive and determination to overcome these ailments led him
to become a competent gymnast, diver and skier.
In 1912, Pilates lived in England working as a
circus performer, boxer and self-defense instructor. During World War I, he was
interned with other German nationals, and it was during this time that he further
developed his technique of physical fitness, designed for a confined space by
teaching his fellow internees. During the latter part of the War, he served as
an orderly in a hospital on the Isle of Man where he began working patients who
where unable to walk. It was here that the inspiration for his famous piece of
equipment the "Cadillac" was born, as he attached springs to the hospital beds
to help support the patients' limbs while working with them.
After the War, he returned to Germany where
he trained the police in Hamburg and worked with others such as Rudolph von
Laban, the innovative modern dance pioneer.
Pilates
immigrated to the USA in the early 1920's opening a 'body-conditioning studio'
with his wife Clara in New York City in 1926. The studio featured the apparatus
that he designed to enhance his rehabilitation work. It soon became very popular
with the dance community, offering dancers a chance to improve their technique
or recover from injuries. Very quickly he became the best-kept secret in New
York. Word of mouth traveled and everyone came to Joe's - from dance legends
Ruth St. Denis, Ted Shawn, Jerome Robbins, George Balanchine and Martha Graham
to actor Jose Ferrer and author Christopher Isherwood.
In 1932 he published a booklet entitled "Your
Health" and in 1945 "Return to Contrology". Through these writings and his
students, his Method was passed on after his death in 1967 at the age of 87.
Pilates always felt that his work was fifty years ahead of its time.
"Physical fitness is the
first requisite of happiness. In order to achieve happiness, it is imperative to
gain mastery of your body. If at the age of 30 you are stiff and out of shape,
you are old. If at 60 you are supple and strong then you are young."
Joseph Hubertus Pilates
The Pilates Method
represents a unique approach to exercise that develops body awareness,
improving and changing the body's postural and alignment habits and increasing flexibility and ease of
movement.
The core fundamentals of the Method are based
upon a thorough understanding of the anatomy of the human body. The Pilates
Teacher uses this information to create a comprehensive exercise program for
each client with the aim of restoring a greater sense of balance. It is this
holistic approach that sets the Method apart from many other forms of exercise.
Indeed, Osteopaths, physiotherapists and general practitioners are now
recommending Pilates as one of the safest forms of exercise today.
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