The Background of Pilates

‘Pilates’ originates from 32 specific mobilising and strengthening exercises that Joseph Pilates (born 1880) devised as a means to improve his health and prolong his life as in childhood he suffered from rickets, asthma and rheumatic fever was not predicted to live very long. He moved to America in 1926 where his concept for exercise, called contrology, was adopted by the dance studios and ballet schools to benefit the dancers’ abilities. His practise proved it's worth as he lived to the age of 84 years old. It was only after his death that it was called Pilates and when it was brought to England in 1995 by Lynn Robinson she took it to the public forum and termed it Body Control Pilates. It is these adapted versions of the original 32 exercises that we will practice in class.