Over 60 years ago, a German athlete and pioneer in the field of physical therapy, Josef (Joseph) H. Pilates set about to create a training method that would withstand the test of time. When Joseph was born in 1880 he suffered from asthma, rickets and rheumatic fever. His determination and drive to overcome those ailments led him to the study of both Eastern and Western forms of exercise. He continued studying and teaching until the early 1920's when he and his wife, Clara, left Germany and emigrated to America bringing with him a revolutionary method of physical and mental conditioning.

After his arrival in New York, Joseph Pilates' techniques became known in the dance community.  Before long, the Pilates technique became an integral part of dance training. Such legends of dance as Ruth St. Denis, Ted Shawn, Martha Graham, George Balanchine, Hanya Holm and Jerome Robins, all practiced Pilates and later taught it to their students.

The Pilates Method is a series of approximately 500 exercises across a wide range of specially designed exercise equipment, used for fitness and rehabilitation. 

The Principle

Pilates is a fusion of western and eastern philosophies that concentrates on breathing with movement, body mechanics, balance, co-ordination, positioning of the body, spatial awareness, strength and flexibility. To benefit fully from the method you must learn to flow from one movement to the next, building stamina and cardiovascular fitness.  Joseph defined a series of basic principle to be followed in the exercises:

• Centering
• Alignment
• Breathing
• Control
• Precision
• Flowing Movement
• Relaxation

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