A Brief History of Pilates
What is Pilates?
Pilates is a movement practice using mat and apparatus work created by Joseph H Pilates. Mr. Pilates called his work Contrology and his mission and original mat work can be found in his text Return to Life. Pilates exercises focus on using the whole body, including the mind, in order to create uniform development of muscles and to address imbalances created by our everyday life and habitual motions. Pilates equipment makes use of springs to provide resistance and assistance to the exercises. The Pilates method is a system in which one should practice mat and equipment to truly find whole body health.
Who is Joesph Pilates?
Joseph Pilates was born in Monchengladbach, Germany in 1883. Joe was known to be a weak child, suffering from asthma and other maladies. He took to exercise to battle his conditions and began his lifelong study of exercise regimens and human anatomy. His idea of Contrology came to center on the classical Greek ideal of a man balanced in mind, body, and spirit. As Joe grew into adulthood, he also grew out of the sickliness of his childhood. He was known to be a diver, gymnast, boxer, and skier. In 1912, Joe traveled to England and began to teach self defense classes to detectives at Scotland Yard. When World War I started, Joe was detained on the Isle of Man as an “enemy alien.” It was during this time that Joe refined his exercise system. He was allowed to work with bedridden patients and thus invented the first of what would be his apparatus by rigging springs to hospital beds. It is said that when the Spanish Influenza hit in 1918, non of Mr. Pilates trainees died, a fact he claimed testified to the effectiveness of his system.
Joseph Pilates at 57 and at 82
Returning to Germany after his release, Contrology began to gain a following, especially in the dance community. When German officials asked Mr. Pilates to teach his method to the army, he decided to leave Germany permanently. In 1926, Joe emigrated the the United States, where he met his wife and partner in teaching, Clara Zuener. Clara must be given great credit for the teaching and spread of the Pilates method. Together they opened a fitness studio in New York City and began to teach Contrology. The method was adopted by many dancers, especially as they recovered from injury. Joe’s students began to teach and as they moved across the United States, the method spread. Joe trained clients until his death in 1967 at the age of 87. His work was carried on by his wife, Clara, and his students, known as the Elders, who continued to spread the practice.
