Joseph Pilates

Joseph Pilates has revolutionized the concept of well-being in general and more specific of the body condition, by putting more emphasis to health and peaceful soul and mind.

Joseph was born in in 1880 in Düsseldorf, Germany. His mother was German, a naturopath, and his father, a gymnast champion, a Greek, which explains the family name Pilates.
Pilates grew up a frail child, despite the intensive health background of his parents. He was constantly attacked by rheumatic fever, bronchial asthma, rachitis and other illnesses that sometimes brought him close to death.
He also was always ballyragged by the local kids because of his surname, causing him such sorrow. But this didn’t stop him from daydreaming. He still longed for the day that he would become a healthy, robust man.
This situation challenged him to search ways to defeat his weaknesses and realize his dreams.
He began studying and researching about gymnastics, diving, bodybuilding, skiing, and other forms of exercises. At home, he would execute them and observe of the different changes in his body. No wonder that he became a master to all these at the age of fourteen.

In 1912, Joseph Pilates packed his bags and settled in England, feeling that his newfound strength could bring him to greater heights.
There, he supported himself by handling a great deal of physical jobs, like boxer, circus performer and self-defense trainer to the detectives. He was living a peaceful life then until First World War broke out and the strong Joseph Pilates, considered an “enemy alien,” was imprisoned in a camp in Lancaster.

Despite the suffering of many prisoners in camps like that, Joseph wasn’t one of them.
He continued to live the way he believed it should be lived. During that time period, Joseph Pilates spent most of his time to further enhance his exercise techniques. This allowed him to focus on the positive feeling his routines gave him. He even was able to share his knowledge with his other comrades by teaching them, thus improving their physical condition and forgetting the cruelties of reality.

After the war was over and he was freed, Pilates returned to Germany to perfect his techniques.

Against Joseph’s principles, the German authorities wanted him to teach the German army. He was yearning to heal the wounds that imposed him emotioanlly and physically, not to promote others to do damage. That’s why he sought refuge in New York, becoming an immigrant. During this voyage that he found the love of his life, Clara.

Joseph Pilates definitely wanted to serve other people.
He opened his first Pilates studio along Eight Avenue, together with his wife. His main problem then was, that he didn’t have any contacts. To resolve this, he attended different dance classes where he distributed cards. He also invited dancers he found in the streets.
Very soon thereafter, the effectiveness of his training, his love of the craft and his commitment, as well as the passion of teaching, gave him prominence; and it soon his clientele included popular celebrities like Martha Graham and George Balanchine.
He also learned to be creative and groundbreaking by inventing his own exercise equipments, which were used in hospitals for immobilized patients.

In 1967 Joseph Pilates passed away. But his life and death generated hope to everyone, especially those who wished to live longer, healthier and happier.