WHO IS JOSEPH PILATES?

Born in Germany in the 1880's, Joseph Pilates was a child with asthma, ricketsand rheumatic fever. His determination and will to overcome these ailments led him tostudy various forms of Eastern and Western training. In 1912, Joseph moved to England where he worked as a boxer, gymnast and coach for the defense to detectives.

During the First World War, Joseph was interned in the camp of Isle of Man. It's when he worked with war wounded that Joseph began to shape these first devices by creating a system of springs attached to the beds so that patients can practice more independently.

Returning to Germany after the war, he concentrated on improving these devices and then decided to leave his hometown for the United States in 1926 to open his own studio. His studio in New York has first attracted professional dancers and then followed the actors and athletes.

Some followers of Joseph opened studio offering Pilates method throughout the United States. Beginning in the 1980s, the method has been adopted by a more diverse population. It was studied and refined in order to reach as many people. Various accessories were added to deepen the basics of this technique. It is excellent for rehabilitation.