Joseph Pilates was born in Germany in 1880. He spent his childhood fighting rickets, asthma and rheumatic fever. Determined to become physically immune to the effects of his illnesses Joseph studied Yoga and Zen meditation. By his teens Joseph was excelling in bodybuilding, diving, gymnastics and skiing.

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In 1912 Joseph moved to England and undertook various jobs before WW1 broke out in 1914. Joseph then became a prisoner of war. During this time he trained as a nurse and was appalled to see that so many of the patients were lying in bed and doing no exercise. So he set about devising a gentle exercise programme for patients in his care and it soon became evident that these patients were recovering faster than the other patients in the same hospital.

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With the endorsement of the doctors, Joseph continued to progress his exercises to incorporate the use of resistance via springs from old hospital beds. His belief being that the resistance provided by the springs would provide progressive resistance and bear weight at the same time to enable only partial loading forces on the muscles, tendons and ligaments and therefore improve and accelerate healing.

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When the war ended Joseph moved back to Germany and continued developing his fitness programme.

Over the remainder of his life Joseph continued to work closely with the elite sports people of New York, training, rehabilitating and improving many ailments from knee injuries to chronic lower back pain. Today Pilates legacy is carried on by qualified instructors, whose training, knowledge and skills allow the benefit of Joseph Pilates original exercise techniques to carry on benefiting many people from all walks of life.

 

In just 80 years the number of people practising Pilates worldwide is estimated to be nearly 15 million, with over 15,000 instructors. Joseph Pilates’ legacy lives on.

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Pilates is a proven, effective and beneficial form of exercises for just about everyone, regardless of age and fitness level. Designed by Joseph Pilates to elongate, strengthen and restore the body to balance, through a series of low-impact toning exercises that work on core and major muscle groups. This improves posture by changing the way our bodies have been accustomed to working, due to lifestyle, occupation, stress or injury. Weak muscles are strengthened and overused/tight muscles are stretched and lengthened, thus achieving a better balance in the mechanics of the body and spinal stability, thereby relieving head, neck and lower back pain, while increasing mobility and flexibility.