Suitable for
all ages and fitness levels Pilates is a
non-impact form of exercise, aiming to
improve
 strength,
flexibility, posture, co-ordination and body
tone. The Pilates Method is a set of
principles and movements targeted at the
body’s area of core strength, the abdomen
and back. Partly inspired by Yoga it is
different in one key respect, Yoga is made
up of a series of static postures, while
Pilates is based on setting a posture and
then challenging the stability of the body
by moving through a range of repetitive
movements. It is a movement technique that
requires learning fundamentals to build on.
Over time with practice participants will
learn a concentrated breathing awareness.
Pilates breathing helps participants connect
to and strengthen their deep abdominal
muscles, developing a strong “centre”.
Joseph H. Pilates
(1880 – 1967)
Joseph Hubertus
Pilates was born near Düsseldorf, Germany in
1880. As a child Pilates suffered from
asthma, rickets and rheumatic fever, however
he displayed exceptional determination and
drive to overcome his physical ailments by
becoming an accomplished skier, diver and
gymnast.
During World War I, while interned with
other German nationals in a "camp" for enemy
aliens in Britain, Joseph became a nurse.
During this time, he designed exercise
apparatus for immobilized patients by
attaching springs, pulleys and straps to
hospital beds, to assist their
rehabilitation. These machines allowed his
patients to exercise while lying down, push
or pull the springs and exercise against
resistance. These machines were the
prototypes for the apparatus used by the
Pilates machines used today.
After the war, Pilates returned to
Germany and began training the Hamburg
Military Police in self-defense and physical
training as well as taking on personal
clients . It was at this time that he met
Rudolf von Laban, a famous dancer,
choreographer and movement analyst, who
incorporated some of Pilates theories and
exercises into his own work. Mary Wigman, a
famous German dancer and choreographer, was
a student of Pilates and used his exercises
in her dance class warm-up.
In 1925, Pilates was asked by the German
government to train the new German army, but
did not agree with their ideals, so he chose
to emigrate to the United States. Arriving
in New York, Joseph and his wife Clara
opened the first Pilates studio in the same
building as several dance studios and
rehearsal spaces, such as the New York City
Ballet. It was this proximity that made "Contrology"
such an intrinsic part of many dancers'
training and rehab work and many were sent
to Pilates to be "fixed". Dance legends such
as Ruth St. Denis, Ted Shawn, Martha Graham,
George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins studied
under Pilates and taught the concepts to
their students. In return, he improved his
theories through his close work with ballet
dancers. |
