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Joseph Hubertus Pilates was born near Düsseldorf, Germany in 1880. His father was an award winning gymnast and his mother was a naturopath, thus he was exposed to the world of alternative wellness and fitness early in his life. As a child Pilates suffered from asthma, rickets and rheumatic fever, however he displayed exceptional determination and drive to overcome his physical ailments by becoming an accomplished skier, diver and gymnast. He also researched and trained in Eastern and Western forms of movement, including Yoga, ancient Grecian and Roman regimens and their relation to the intricate anatomical system. Pilates was so absorbed with physical well being that he transformed his body to the point where he claims that he was posing for anatomical charts by early adolescence. The fusion of his early movement studies resulted in the development of Contrology (what is now known as Pilates).

Around 1912, Pilates moved to England. (It is disputed whether he went there to pursue boxing, or to perform with a circus ensemble.) While in England, WWI began and Pilates along with other German nationals was held prisoner for a year in Lancaster. During his internment he taught self-defense techniques and early principles of Contrology to fellow detainees. Pilates also encountered many who were disabled as a result of the circumstances of war, and devised machines from beds utilizing the addition of springs, pulleys and straps to assist in their rehabilitation. These machines allowed his patients to exercise while lying down, which stabilized them while still allowing for a re-establishment of muscular integrity within their full range of motion. These machines were the prototypes for the apparatus used in Pilates today.

After the war, Pilates returned to Germany. There, he trained the Hamburg City Police in his method and continued his work. At this time he also collaborated with Rudolf von Laban, choreographer and creator of Labanotation (a comprehensive system of analyzing movement). He was asked by the Government to train the new German army, but did not agree with their ideals, so he decided to move to America. Along the way, he met his wife Clara, who agreed with Pilates’ philosophies of health and fitness. Upon their arrival in New York City, in 1926, they decided to open a studio and dedicate their lives to the method Joseph had been perfecting.

Their studio, located on Eighth Avenue in New York City in the same building as some reputable dance companies, caught the attention of the dance community and Contrology began to permeate their training. Some of the more notable Pilates enthusiasts included legends such as Hanya Holm, Ruth St. Denis, Ted Shawn, Martha Graham (famed pioneer of Modern Dance), and George Balanchine (Balanchine along with Kirstein founded the New York City Ballet and was one of the most prolific choreographers in ballet history). They have all practiced and taught Pilates to their students. From this surge of popularity, Pilates’ studio soon grew to be a legendary fitness studio attracting New York’s most affluent and prominent populace. Joseph Pilates taught in his New York studio through the early 1960’s.

In 1966 a fire erupted in a back room of the Eighth Avenue Studio where Joe rented out storage space. Pilates was said to have been in the building at the time of the fire but it was during an inspection of the damages caused by the fire that Joe almost fell through the floor. At 86 years of age Joe was forced to hang from rafters for an extended period time before he was able to pull himself to safety.

Joseph Pilates died one year later, in 1967, at the age of 87. It has been reported that inhalation of smoke from the previous years’ fire may have been a major contributor to his death.

Pilates exercises are varied in composition and enjoyable to perform, each exercise has a myriad of modifications and variations to accommodate the beginner and challenge the super-advanced.