Pilates History
Pilates exercise, founded by Joseph H. Pilates, first emerged in the early 1920's. Pilates was born in Germany in 1880. As a young man he was afflicted with various diseases. Through rigorous exercise, regular practice in Zen meditation, and yoga he was able to remain active. He became an accomplished athlete as a gymnast, boxer, and skier.

During World War I, Pilates put his personal experience to work for others. He developed an exercise routine to condition German soldiers and invented special equipment using old hospital bed springs to rehabilitate injured soldiers.

In 1926, Pilates immigrated to America with his wife Clara. They established a Pilates studio in New York City. His training program continued to evolve and became popular in the dance community and with athletes.

Pilates Today
Over the last 10 years, Pilates exercise has had a surge in popularity in both fitness and rehabilitation arenas. There are private studios worldwide for personal training. Health clubs, are incorporating the floor exercise class and using the equipment. Rehabilitation professionals have become aware of the benefits and versatility of Pilates exercise and are treating a variety of injuries with the technique.

The Technique
Joseph Pilates emphasized the mind-body connection. His goal was to teach people to work from the "inside out". It is imperative to concentrate and focus during a session.

The emphasis is on correct postural alignment, activation of appropriate muscle and coordinated deep breathing. The movements are performed in a slow, controlled rhythm. Precision and quality are more important than the number of repetitions.

The exercises target core muscles, the deep abdominals, buttocks, and back extensors. The goal is to achieve increased awareness of movement and re-educate the muscles to resolve imbalance and malalignment.

Training in the Pilates-Based Environment
The equipment developed by Joseph Pilates is unique. There are five primary pieces utilizing springs, cords, and pulleys to assist or resist movement.

Prior to using the equipment your instructor or therapist will introduce you to floor exercises that are the basis of the `sequences done on the equipment.

Use of the equipment requires skilled supervision. Your instructor or therapist will properly set up the apparatus and guide you through the movement giving you the proper feedback. Once you gain more knowledge of the technique you may be able to perform some of the sequences independently.

Benefits

• Improves postural alignment
• Involves multiple muscle groups giving a total body workout
• Develops lean rather than bulky muscles
• Increases movement awareness
• Increases strength and flexibility

• Sports-specific training
• General conditioning
• Rehabilitation of injuries!