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Joseph Pilates

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Joseph Pilates

Joseph Pilates

Joseph Pilates was born in Germany in March of 1883.  His father was a gymnast of greek ancestry who was dedicated to health, strength and exercise.  His mother studied the power of the mind and natural medicines.  Both of his parents occupation played a large part in the creation of his pilates work out routine.  As a child he suffered from many illnesses from rickets to asthma and even rheumatic fever.  Much of his childhood was devoted to overcoming these illnesses with the help of his mothers mentoring on the mind and his fathers focus on the body.  In his teen years he studied many different exercise routines from yoga to gymnastics and even body building.  While studying these many viewpoints he began to realize that most workout routines left out an essential part of the body; the mind.  He began to devise his own workout routine incorporating the body with the mind. 

In 1925 Joseph Pilates migrated to the US and founded a studio in New York City.  In the studio he taught his methods of exercise to students and other individuals interested in his work.  It was here he devised the eight essential pilates exercises that were aimed to help every individual create mind and body fulfillment.  Additionally he began to create multiple pieces of equipment to aid his students in their work out routines.  He, along with his wife Clara, also created a method called “Contrology” which focused attention on balance and inner strength.  These methods were incorporated into the pilates work out routine and they are now a key factor in the pilates strength building method. 

Throughout his lifetime Joseph Pilates wrote several books on his pilates work out routine.  Each explains different approaches and benefits of creating unity in work out between mind and body.  Additionally he invented over 26 different work out devices that can be used for pilates or other work outs.  Many followers of Josephs first pilates work shop in New York went on to continue teaching his methods, and some even developed new routines and work out machines.  Though Pilates died in 1967 his work out routines and ideas are still avidly alive.  Over the years pilates has been growing in popularity and is among the most common cardiovascular workout techniques of today.