Joseph Pilates

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A fitness guru and inventor who as a child was sick, suffering from rickets, asthma, and rheumatic fever.

In "Return to Life Through Contrology", the photos of Joseph Pilates as a sixty year old doing advanced exercises such as The Scissors, The Seal, and The Open Leg Rocker seem quite incredible. He is photographed wearing only his shorts - a signature statement. He declares that:

"...your body also 'breaths' through the pores of your skin as well as through your mouth, nose, and lungs. Clean, open skin pores permit perspiration to uninterruptedly eliminate the poisons of your body. Moreover, unless you are really chilly, do not exercise in sweatshirts or even in lighter clothing. Whenever and wherever possible, wear 'shorts'..." (Pilates )

Pilates body reflected and was a testament to his dedication to the perfection of the body.

Joseph Pilates was born in 1880, near the North German city of Dusseldorf, and died in 1967 in New York. He worked in Britain from 1912 to 1914 as a circus performer, boxer and self-defence instructor. During the first world war, he was interned in England. He developed his techniques by teaching them to fellow internees.

 

The first Pilates studio in New York

After the war Joseph Pilates returned to Germany. He continued to develop his practice and his system of exercise influenced the creator of dance notation, Rudolf Von Laban, and choreographer/dancer Hanya Holm. In 1923, he emigrated to the United States, where he opened up the first Pilates studio in New York, among his clients were the dancers from the New York City Ballet.

Pilates at 82

It seems incredible that as a child, he suffered so physically. But when the clouds lifted, Joseph Pilates emerged as a brilliant man who had a magic formula for body conditioning. During his career he developed his methods for body conditioning which he called Contrology, invented various pieces of exercise equipment, published two books, "Return to Life Through Contrology" (1945), and "Your Health", and had a dedicated following.

 

Joseph Pilates on the Reformer

"Contrology is complete coordination of body, mind, and spirit. Through Contrology you first purposefully acquire complete control of your own body and then though proper repetition of its exercises you gradually and progressively acquire that natural rhythm and co-ordination associated with all your subconscious activities.. Contrology develops the body uniformly, corrects wrong postures, restores physical vitality, invigorates the mind, and elevates the spirit." (Pilates 1945:8)

 

Clara Pilates and the Pilates Family

Clara Pilates, his wife and life partner was involved in developing his business and body conditioning methods. Clara was a nurse. They met and fell in love on the boat on the way to America and decided to blend their ideas on rehabilitation, fitness and health. Although they had no children, Pilates students took a primary focus in their lives.

The Pilates Method

Joseph believed in Patience and Persistence, this is something that is quite rare these days in an age of throw away materialism, and a culture that wants everything straight away. As Pilates states:

"Remember, too, that 'Rome was not built in a day,' and that Patience and Persistence are vital qualities in the ultimate successful accomplishment of any worthwhile endeavor. Practice your exercises diligently with the fixed and unalterable determination that you will permit nothing else to sway you from keeping faith with yourself." (Pilates)

The Pilates method has changed over the years, each new school developing their own teaching focus, or interpretation of the Principles. The Pilates Principles are: Proper alignment, centering, concentration, control, precision, breathing, and flowing movement.

Breathing is a principle that all schools agree on and include in their principles, but all have their own take on when and also how to breath. Pilates states that

"Breathing is the first act of life, and the last. Our very life depends on it. Since we cannot live without breathing it is tragically deplorable to contemplate the millions and millions who have never learned to master the art of correct breathing." (Pilates)

My favorite original Pilates principle is Concentration. There is no space in Pilates regime of exercise for mindless tread mill running!

"Concentrate on the correct movements Each Time You Exercise, lest you do them improperly and thus lose all the vital benefits of their value. Correctly executed and mastered to the point of subconscious reaction, these exercises will reflect grace and balance in your routine activities." (Pilates)

(Pilates 1945: 14)

Joseph Pilates doing Arm Circles

Stretch Strengthen and Streamline