"In ten sessions you will feel the difference,
in 20 you will see the
difference and in 30 you'll have a whole new body."
-- Joseph H. Pilates
Joseph H. Pilates started with a mission to find a way to heal his own frail and sickly body. As a child Joseph suffered from asthma and rickets. Joseph used himself as a subject to come up with his own theory which he called, “The Art of Contrology”. His theory focused on muscle control -- using the mind to control the muscle. He began developing his exercises, focusing on mental and physical harmony, using your mind, breath, and body all together. Using these three elements he found that the body as a whole could be integrated as a balance for overall fitness. The balance of mind, breath, and body helps us to perform our daily tasks in harmony.
Joseph Pilates began using his method while working as an intern at a hospital during WWI. He was very successful in maintaining a fellow internee’s health through a deadly influenza attack. He then began working with non-ambulatory patients, he attached springs to the bed and found that they improved much faster. Joseph’s method enhanced their physical and emotional well-being. Not only that, but it also improved their posture, flexibility and balance. He found that balance could be gained through stretch and strength with control. In the end Joseph’s method became endorsed by physicians, as they recognized how well it worked to reduce injury recovery time.
Joseph’s first official studio was in New York City in the 1920’s. His method was the best kept secret among dancers and performers. Among his clients were Martha Graham and George Balanchine. They fully understood the method as the idea of reawakening the body through conscious thought. Joseph’s goals evolved more and more into the idea that mental and physical harmony were a maifestation of each person’s physical capabilities. He recognized that the correction of unbalances would lead to fullness of movement and a channeled flow of energy.
What makes Pilates so successful is that the balance in exercise between the body and mind works together for tone and realignment. It lengthens body muscle without the bulk-up results. Why? Because there is nothing being isolated in movement. The body works within the joints not outside, working the “power house” to control all movement. Joseph’s method concentrates on developing the deep musculature of the body to stabilize and support the spine. Pilates was developed for people to achieve a healthy body, a healthy mind and a healthy life. As Joseph H. Pilates said himself, “Physical fitness can neither be achieved by wishful thinking nor outright purchase.”