About Pilates

Joseph H. Pilates, who was born in Germany in 1883, brought his new body-mind exercise method in New York in 1926, the most exciting time of USA.  Instead of his manly backgraund as a successful boxer, a gymnast, a skier and self-defence coach, it was dancers who mostly helped to spread his method in the world.

During WWI, Joseph was in a camp for enemy aliens in England and worked as a kind of nurse to aid injured soldiers by devising spring mechanisms attached to beds so that soldiers could workout and still move their body as much as possible, which ultmatily aided their whole body.  That was the begining of the development of what we call today one of the Pilates apparatus, the Cadillac.

His method focused on the core muscles which help keep the body balanced and which support the spine in right aligment. The movements of Pilates exercises enhance breathing mechanism, the most important elements.  His approach is to move the whole body, change the movement patterns by awaring one's habit,  and consider the life holistically so that the mind, body and spirit are in harmony.

Classical Pilates style is succeded his intension of workout, original order of exercise, and integration of appratus use. The forcus is not your weakness part of your body, but what your strength is and enhance what you naturally have.