Joseph Humbertus Pilates
was born in Mönchengladbach
a small town near Düsseldorf, Germany in 1880. He was a rather frail and sickly child who suffered from a variety of ailments such as asthma, rickets and rheumatic fever. He overcame his afflictions through training his body in both western and eastern forms of exercise, in addition to being an accomplished diver, skier, gymnast, boxer and circus performer. His fascination with the study of anatomy was promoted through the memorization of anatomy books and studying the movement of animals in their natural habitat. At a later stage his body was so developed that he became a model for anatomy charts.
Joseph moved to England
to further his training as a boxer and at the same time began his successful career along with his brother as a circus performer. Unfortunately, in 1914 when WW1 broke out, he was interned in a “camp” for German nationals as an enemy alien. During his incarceration he taught his fellow prisoners a series of exercises later called “Contrology” which combined elements of physical fitness, breathing and mental focus to increase strength and flexibility. During the latter part of the war Joseph’s teaching in the camps took on a more rehabilitative structure, in his role as a hospital orderly. Here he developed the use of bedsprings for resistance training for patients to build core strength and increase flexibility while still being bed-ridden. Much of the equipment used today by Pilate’s instructors is designed after the original improvisations Joseph developed, such as the reformer, Cadillac, barrels and magic circles.
Joseph returned to Germany
and became involved in personal training as well as in the physical training of the Hamburg Military Police in self-defense. Not content with the growing political climate of Germany in 1925 he parted for the United States. It has also been stated that Joseph was asked to train the New German Army and declined, which further supported his decision to immigrate to the USA. While in route to the United States Joseph met his wife Clara and it is with her that they opened their first studio in New York City on Eighth Avenue.
in New York City was located near several dance studios
and theater rehearsal spaces, which helped to promote and lay the strong foundation of the Pilates technique within the performing arts community. Many renowned performers and choreographers studied at the studio in addition to requiring their devotees to work with Joseph and Clara. George Balanchine, Martha Graham, Hanya Holm, Jerome Robbins and Ted Shawn are just a few of the choreographers that pay tribute to the Pilates technique for the strengthening, balancing and rehabilitating of their dancers.
At the age of 87
after suffering injuries sustained in a fire in the studio building. Clara continued to run the studio for 10 years following his death and she passed away in 1977. Romana Kryzanowska took over the helm after Clara and along with Sean Gallagher set up the first teacher training certification in Classical Pilates. Today the Pilates training has expanded its’ realm of devotees beyond the dance world into health care practioners, physiotherapists, fitness trainers, athletes, and persons interested in developing a life-long lasting state of pure and simple “being fit” at any age.