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ABOUT PILATES
About Pilates
Pilates is a safe and innovative system of mind-body exercise, utilizing a floor mat and a variety of equipment. This exercise style is an evolution from the principles of Joseph Pilates, whose lifelong interest in body conditioning contributed to his development of mat and machine strengthening exercises.
When performed correctly, Pilates has the ability to do the following:
• Aid in the development of long, lean muscles
• Complement other methods of exercise
• Correct posture issues
• Greater freedom of movement
• Heighten body awareness
• Improve coordination and circulation
• Enhance balance, strength, and flexibility • Flatten, tone, and strengthen abdominal areas
• Increase core strength and stability
• Prevent injuries
Pilates
How it Began
In the last decade, Pilates seems to have burst on the scene out of nowhere, becoming a mainstream form of exercise. Before becoming a well-known form of exercise, it was the workout of the elite for years.
Joseph Pilates, a boxer and gymnast born in Germany in 1880, developed a body conditioning system that proved to be effective and efficient. Upon moving to England in 1912, Joseph worked as a self-defense instructor for defectives at Scotland Yard. At the outbreak of World War 1, Joseph interned as an enemy alien with other German nationals. During his internment, Joseph refined his ideals and trained other internees in his system of exercise.
During the war, he rigged springs to hospital beds, enabling bedridden patients to exercise using resistance, an innovation that led to his later equipment designs. His rehabilitating exercise system proved its effectiveness when an influenza epidemic struck England in 1918, killing thousands of people, but not one of Joseph’s trainees died. He claimed that this occurrence testified to the effectiveness of his system.
After his release, Joseph returned to Germany, where his exercise method gained favor in the dance community. Many of Joseph’s exercise techniques were adopted for modern dance curriculums, including those of Rudolf von Laban and Hanya Holm. In fact, Pilates is still a component of the Holm Technique.