What is Pilates?

“In 10 sessions you will feel the difference, in 20 you will see the difference, and in 30 sessions you will have a whole new body.”
“This is the equivalent of an “internal shower”. As the spring freshness born of the heavy rains and vast masses of melting snows on mountains in the hinterlands cause rivers to swell and rush turbulently onward to the sea, so too will your blood flow with renewed vigor as the direct result of your faithfully performing the Contrology (Pilates) exercises.”
Joseph Pilates

Pilates is a mind and body conditioning method that uses exercises and correct breathing to change the way in which we use our bodies. It aims to improve muscle recruitment patterns by restoring good postural alignment and natural movement patterns. Its slow controlled approach ensures longer-term results. It is recommended by medical specialists as one of the safest and most effective forms of exercise, in particular for those with back problems.

Joseph Pilates, the originator of the Pilates Method, was born in Germany in the late 1800s. He was a frail child who suffered from asthma, rickets and rheumatic fever. However, he was determined to overcome his fragility and experimented with several Eastern and Western forms of exercise including gymnastics, skiing, yoga, weight training, Zen and ancient Greek and Roman regimens. Joseph drew on these methods and developed his own approach to strengthen his body. He called his method “Contrology”, as it required the concentration of the mind to control the breath and muscles.

During the First World War he worked with rehabilitating his fellow internees who were suffering from diseases and injuries in the internment camp. After WWI, Joseph briefly returned to Germany and worked for the Hamburg Military Police in self-defense and physical training.  Later he emigrated to the USA and set up a studio in New York, where he and his wife Clara refined the Pilates method and trained students.  The majority of his original clients were boxers, ballet dancers, actors, gymnasts and athletes.

Joseph Pilates taught the importance of core strength intuitively. It was only many years later after his death when clinical research recognised the importance of the inner core. Modern Pilates method continues to evolve and is being influenced by research in the field of physiotherapy and bio-mechanics. Variations to classical exercises have been created and new exercises have been developed to allow for injury rehabilitation and to ensure accessibility to everyone.