History of Pilates
The method of Pilates was originally developed by Joseph Pilates who was born in Dusseldorf in 1880. He was a rather sickly child who suffered from rickets, asthma and rheumatic fever.

Determined to overcome his fragility and develop a strong healthy body, he studied body building, diving, skiing and gymnastics. Drawing from this athletic training, he devised a series of exercises that enabled him not only to improve his health, but to develop a body that was strong and fit enough to pose for anatomical charts.
In 1912 Joseph Pilates moved to England. During the war he was interned in Lancashire and then on the Isle of Man. Spending the duration of the war helping out in the camp infirmary and further developing his techniques. He devised makeshift exercise aids by attaching bedsprings in various positions so that patients recovering from injuries could exercise safely. Modern versions of this equipment can be found in Pilates studios today and are known as reformers and cadillacs.

In the late 1920's he emigrated to the United States and opened an exercise studio this became popular with dancers, actors, gymnasts and athletes. He remained living in America until he died in 1967.

Although Joseph wrote several books on fitness he never set a formal training programme. The result was that his disciples went on to teach their own individual version of his method, many of which are still evidenced today.

The Pilates technique in the 21st Century is still firmly rooted in Joseph Pilates' original teachings. But the advances of exercise science have enabled teachers to adapt the technique into a safe effective form of exercise that can be practiced by almost everyone.