Joseph Pilates was one of ten children born to Anna Hahn and Heinrich Friedrich Pilates on December 9, 1883, in Germany. His mother was a factory worker, and his father was a locksmith and mechanic in a factory.
In 1912 he moved to England and worked as a boxer, a circus performer, and a detective and self-defense trainer.
During World War I, he was sent to a camp in Lancaster where he trained inmates in health and fitness, and this was the beginning of the Pilates exercise. The movements can be small and therapeutic and are designed to help people to recover from injuries, or they can be challenging, even for athletes.
In 1925 Joseph Pilates migrated to the U.S. On the ship, he met his future wife, Clara. In New York City, they began a studio and taught students; most of his students were dancers and movie stars.
Pilates exercise uses the mind to control the muscles of the body. It focuses on the core muscles of the stomach to keep the body balanced. If the body is balanced, it supports the spine. Awareness of breathing, and alignment of the spine for stronger torso muscles, is what he was teaching. Strong core muscles can help to relieve back and neck pain.
As a child, Joseph Pilates was sick, and he suffered from asthma, rickets, and rheumatic fever. During this time, he learned from nature by studying the movements of animals and birds.
“As a child, I would lie in the woods for hours,
hiding and watching the animals move,
how the mother taught the young,” he said.
After this, he began to dedicate his life to well-being and becoming physically stronger.
By the age of 14, he was fit enough to be a model for anatomical charts because of his training in gymnastics and bodybuilding. He also studied Yoga, Zen, and other exercises.
Joseph believed the roots of poor health come from poor breathing and bad posture. The practice of Pilates is undoubtedly one of the most popular exercises today.
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I never knew the history of Pilates, and found this to be very interesting. He left quite a legacy. I think I first heard of Pilates about 18 years ago when a friend bought a pilates machine from a tv infomercial.
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Hi Mary ,
Yes ,Pilates has a interesting history and I like that he learned a lot from the nature.
I do a form of Pilates with my exercise group and developed it to meditative exercise ,since 8 years.
It is very beneficial and does not need any machines ,it can be done without ,we only use a Theraband .
Thanks for your comment
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I’ve known of Pilates for years, but didn’t know where it originated from. Wow, very interesting! Thank you for sharing this!
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You are welcome ,Nate
I thought it would be interesting for people,
I like that he studied nature and the animals to
make the movements and it is very beneficial 🙂
Thank you for the comment
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Erica, I enjoyed this …! I never knew how Pilates stsarted. Loved reading the history… thank you!
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Yes ,Lesly he worked also as a nurse,
and he helped a lot of people to get good again.
Because of this I use a lot of the movements in the meditative exercise .
It really feels good to bring the mind into the body and have the breath as the rhythm.
Thanks for the comment
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I had no idea that Pilates had such a long history. It’s rise in popularity came after I used to go to exercise classes. These days I tend to stick to exercise at home. .
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Hi Sue ,
Pilates you can do at home
it does not need a lot of space
and no machines 🙂
Thank you for the comment
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