Joseph H. Pilates

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Joseph Pilates, was originally from Germany, and immigrated to the United States in 1925.  He believed “that the 'modern' life-style, bad posture, and inefficient breathing lay at the roots of poor health.” (Pilates, 1945). Of course there’s much more behind Parkinson’s Disease, but he did have valid points.  He ultimately devised a series of exercises and training techniques, and engineered all the equipment, specifications, and tuning required to teach his methods properly.

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During World War I, Joseph Pilates was placed in two internment camps.  During his first internment he intensively developed his concept of an integrated, comprehensive system of physical exercise, which he himself called “Contrology”.  He studied yoga and the movements of animals and trained his fellow inmates in fitness and exercises.  During the later part of World War I, he was interred on the Isle of Man and worked as an orderly in a hospital with patients unable to walk.   He attached bed springs to the hospital beds to help support the patient’s limbs, leading to the development of his famous piece of equipment known as the ‘Cadillac’.  Much of his equipment, although slightly adapted, is still in use today in many Pilates Studios.

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Pilates emigrated to the United States around 1925, and on the ship to America, he met his future life partner Clara. The couple founded a studio in New York City and directly taught and supervised their students well into the 1960s.   Joseph Pilates named his method of exercise “Contrology”, related to encouraging the use of the mind to control muscles, focusing attention on core postural muscles that help keep the body balanced and provide support for the spine. In particular, Pilates exercises teach awareness of breath and of alignment of the spine, and strengthen the deep torso and abdominal muscles.  

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