Joseph Hubertus Pilates, The Creator Of The Pilates Exercises

By now you have, no doubt, heard all of the claims of Pilates exercise programs and how they can improve your life both physically and mentally, but what do you know about the origins of this exercise? How does it compare to the similar form of exercise, Yoga?

This article will present you with a better understanding of the history of Pilates by providing you with information on: Pilates versus Yoga; the creator of the exercise; the early beginnings of the exercise program and its evolution to modern times.

With similar, fluid-type movements and deep-breathing and concentration requirements during the exercises, it is little wonder that Pilates and Yoga are often likened to each other; the two have often been noted as having revitalizing and restorative effects, for both the body and the mind.

Pilates, however, has more recent origins than that of its’ ancient “cousin” Yoga.

Joseph Hubertus Pilates, the creator of the Pilates exercises, was born in Germany in 1880 and suffered from several ailments during his childhood, which encouraged him to find health through diet and exercise, specifically those that targeted muscle strength, improved circulation and mind/body control.

He started to hone his craft during the First World War in an internment camp for “enemy soldiers”, in an attempt to help other internees heal after being wounded. Using springs attached to the hospital beds at the internment camp, he concocted the earliest form of Pilates exercise equipment designed for resistance training.

Joseph met his wife, Clara, on a ship en route to America in 1926 and, shortly after their arrival to the United States, they opened up a fitness studio in New York to teach his Pilates methods. Joseph taught his students mainly to focus on six main principles during the exercises: centering; concentration; control; precision; breathing and fluid movements.

Joseph coined his exercises as “Contrology”, referring to the control that one needed over their body and breathing to do the exercises properly. Many of his first students were dancers and injured dancers, who found great improvement in their craft from these exercises, due to the increase in their core stability.

Joseph Pilates died in 1967 at the age of 87. He continued to teach students until his death. He did not live long enough to see his exercises become main stream, which only occurred in the late 1980’s, when it became more popular at fitness centers. Shortly after that, the media took an interest in it because of the fact that it was being practiced by many popular stars who were raving about the results.

Today, there are numerous students of the original Pilates craft and Pilates Associations in several countries, also offering Pilates Teacher Certification programs. There are however, also new spins on this form of exercise, being taught by other Pilates enthusiasts, and some would say that the newness they bring to this craft is an enhancement. For extra advice, go to www.venusiandream.com/pilates.html

Joseph Pilates once claimed to be 50 years ahead of his time – the evolution of his exercise program with all of its dedicated followers today would have to agree with that statement.