More About Pilates and The Creator: Joseph Hubertus Pilates

Joseph H. Pilates was born in 1880 in Germany, where he grew up suffering from rickets, asthma and rheumatic fever.  Pilates became obsessed with the frailties of the body and was determined to overcome his own afflictions. His studies also included Eastern forms of exercise, and once this was merged with his Western physical studies, what has become known as the Pilates Method was born.  Pilates named his method Contrology.

In 1912 Joe went to England, where he became a boxer, circus performer, and self-defense instructor.  When World War I erupted he was incarcerated in Lancaster and on the Isle of Man, with other German nationals, as an enemy alien.  Those in the camp who were disabled by wartime diseases soon discovered the benefits of having Joe in their midst.  Joe would removed the bedsprings from beneath the beds and attach them to the walls above, allowing the patients to exercise while lying down.  Not only could his patients remain stable, despite whatever injuries they have had-they were also able to mobilize themselves, strengthen their muscles and emerge fitter and healthier than if these simple procedures had not been available to them. When World War I ended, Joe Pilates returned to Germany, where he continued to develop his work.

In 1926, when he felt his ideals did not match those of the new German army, Joe decided to emigrate to the United States.  On his journey he met his future wife, Clara, a nurse. Together, they opened a physical fitness studio. Even today, although the original method has changed as it has spread across the globe, the basic principles incorporated in the method still hold true.

(excerpts taken from The Complete Guide To Joseph H. Pilates' Techniques of Physical Conditioning By: Allan Menezes)