History Of Pilates

The fitness world is overcrowded with methods that claim to improve the overall health of a person i.e. both physical and mental. Although numerous physical fitness methods have been formulated till date, only a few have managed to gain the attention of the public, celebrities and media alike. One such method is Pilates, a brainchild of Joseph Pilates. Pilates is essentially a physical fitness method that aims to strengthen and stabilize the key muscles of the body. A collection of various exercises, it has been tested and proven by its inventor.

 

According to the practitioners of Pilates, the method is beneficial for the body in a number of ways. For instance, it enhances flexibility, builds strength and improves stamina. In order to achieve physical fitness, one has to perform the Pilates movements with precision. Along with that, proper breathing is necessary for performing the exercises precisely. In addition to this, the exercises have to be done with intense focus, so that the person enjoys the maximum benefit. Know more about Pilates in the following lines.

The physical fitness method of Pilates is a brainchild of Joseph Pilates, who was born in Germany in 1880. During his childhood, he suffered from a number o ailments, including asthma, rheumatic fever and rickets. The determination to overcome the ailments made Joseph become a competent gymnast, diver and skier. In 1912, he worked as a circus performer in England. He also assumed the task of boxer and self-defense instructor. It was when he interned with German nationals during the First World War that Joseph developed a technique of physical fitness and imparted the same to his fellow internees.

 

During the later half of World War I, Joseph worked as an orderly in a hospital on the Isle of Man. There, he helped the patients who were unable to walk properly. In order to provide a support to the patient's limbs, Joseph attached springs to their hospital beds. This evolved as an equipment, which later came to be known as 'Cadillac'. Joseph shifted his base to USA in the early 1920s. He went on to establish a 'body-conditioning studio' with his wife in New York in 1926. The apparatus in the studio were especially designed to serve the purpose of his rehabilitation work.

Cadillac gained immense popularity with the dance community. It provided intense training and helped the dancers recover from injury, quickly. After gaining recognition as the creator of the equipment, Joseph went on to publish a booklet named 'Your Health', in 1932. In 1945, he published a book named 'Return to Life Through Contrology'. Before passing away at the age of 87, he passed on his method of physical training to his students, through his writings. The physical fitness method came to be known as Contrology. Since the method was a brainchild of Joseph Pilates, it was popularly referred to as Pilates.

 

The method of Pilates was little known to the fitness world until the 1990s, when it gained popularity. It evolved as an effective fitness method for mind and the body. It was perceived as a gentle approach to health and wellness. Over time, Pilates broke its barrier of just being confined to the elitist fitness studious and started appearing at the neighborhood gym as well. The fitness method was praised by Hollywood celebrities and athletes. Media also contributed in the hype of Pilates, as an effective fitness method.