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The Beginning

Joseph Hubertus Pilates was born near Düsseldorf, Germany in 1880. As a child Pilates suffered from asthma, rickets and rheumatic fever, however he displayed exceptional determination and drive to overcome his physical ailments by becoming an accomplished skier, diver and gymnast.

During World War I, while interned with other German nationals in a "camp" for enemy aliens in Britain, Joseph became a nurse. During this time, he designed exercise apparatus for immobilized patients by attaching springs, pulleys and straps to hospital beds, to assist their rehabilitation. These machines allowed his patients to exercise while lying down, push or pull the springs and exercise against the coil's resistance. These machines were the prototypes for the apparatus used by the Pilates method today.

Interaction with Dancers

After the war, Pilates returned to Germany and began training the Hamburg Military Police in self-defense and physical training as well as taking on personal clients . It was at this time that he met Rudolf von Laban, a famous dancer, choreographer and movement analyst, who incorporated some of Pilates theories and exercises into his own work. Mary Wigman, a famous German dancer and choreographer, was a student of Pilates and used his exercises in her dance class warm-up.

In 1925, Pilates was asked by the German government to train the new German army, but did not agree with their ideals, so he chose to emigrate to the United States. Arriving in New York, Joseph and his wife Clara opened the first Pilates studio in the same building as several dance studios and rehearsal spaces, such as the New York City Ballet. It was this proximity that made "Contrology" such an intrinsic part of many dancers' training and rehab work and many were sent to Pilates to be "fixed". Dance legends such as Ruth St. Denis, Ted Shawn, Martha Graham, George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins studied under Pilates and taught the concepts to their students. In return, he improved his theories through his close work with ballet dancers.

The Pilates method today

Pilates also noticed that as more people moved into cities to take factory jobs, they became less accustomed to fresh air and regular exercise. He felt his method could help people revitalise themselves.

Today the Pilates method is used in rehabilitation of dancers as well as the medical community for rehabilitation of injuries and of many diseased individuals or those with health complications or challenges. Indeed, osteopaths, physiotherapists and general practitioners are now recommending Pilates as one of the safest forms of exercise today.

It has recently grown in popularity with many Hollywood stars, celebrities, actors, singers, athletes and other fields of sport.