Pilates History
Joe went to England in 1912, where he worked as a self-defense instructor for detectives at Scotland
Yard. At the outbreak of World War I, Joe was interned as an "enemy alien" with other German nationals. During his
internment, Joe refined his ideas and trained other internees in his system of exercise. He rigged springs to hospital beds,
enabling bedridden patients to exercise against resistance, an innovation that led to his later equipment designs.
An influenza epidemic struck England in 1918, killing thousands of people,
but not a single one of Joe's trainees died. This, he claimed, testified to the effectiveness of his system. After his release,
Joe returned to Germany. His exercise method gained favor in the dance community, primarily through Rudolf von Laban, who
created the form of dance notation most widely used today. Hanya Holm adopted many of Joe's exercises for her modern dance
curriculum, and they are still part of the "Holm Technique." When German officials asked Joe to teach his fitness
system to the Army, he decided to leave for good.
In 1926,
Joe immigrated to the United States -- during the voyage he met Clara, whom he later married. Joe and Clara opened a
fitness studio in New York, sharing an address with the New York City Ballet. By the early 1960s, Joe and Clara could count
among their clients many New York dancers.
Today, the Pilates (pi-lah-teez) Method is a system of exercises which
encompass over 500 controlled, precise movements performed on a floor mat or special apparatus, designed to lengthen, strengthen,
and stretch muscle without adding bulk. The Pilates Method requires concentration and coordinated breathing --
strengthening both the body and the mind. It strengthens the at its core -- developing strong abdominal and postural
muscles to support the skeletal system and act as the "powerhouse" of body. No other exercise system is so gentle
to the body while giving it a challenging workout. Many of the exercises are done in a seated or reclined position,
and most are low impact and partially weight bearing. Pilates is so safe it is used in physical therapy facilities to
rehabilitate injuries.
If
you think Pilates is just for women, think again...when Joseph Pilates first developed his groundbreaking
new system, it was for his own benefit, and to help soldiers recover from injury. It was only later that it was adapted
by use by women. In fact, men tend to be less flexible than women, it's often of greater benefit to them. His methods
are so successful that many professional athletes use them from ballet dancers through to professional NBA, NFL and PGA members.
