International Pilates Day - Who was Pilates?
“Physical fitness is the first requisite of happiness”
The first Saturday in May is International Pilates Day. The Pilates community celebrates the legacy of Joseph Pilates and the importance of his exercise system. It has helped countless people get moving again because it is one of the few forms of exercise you can do while you are injured and when you are in peak condition. It can be done at any stage of life and customised to suit your needs and goals.
If you already attend a studio you will be quite familiar with Pilates. It is a thoughtfully curated set of exercises specifically designed to connect the mind and body. As Joseph says “to gain control over your body, not your body having control over you”.
Joseph Pilates had many health issues when he was younger so in order to strengthen his body he studied yoga, wrestling, boxing, gymnastics and martial arts. Through these disciplines he created his own form of movement called Contrology - Pilates - as it is known today.
During Wold War 1, Joseph helped rehabilitate injured soldiers - in England, in an internment camp - by attaching springs to the beds for exercise. After a brief return to Germany he moved to New York and set up a studio in the New York City Ballet premises. As the company dancers began to attend his studio, news quickly spread of this new exercise method and was adopted by athletes, actors and those seeking rehabilitation.
Fast forward to today and there are different schools of Pilates but generally these fall into two categories - classical and modern. Classical Pilates keeps closely to Joseph’s original method and uses the original equipment designs.
At CPS we teach modern Pilates - an evolution of the classical method where the original repertoire is broken down into more accessible movement while aiming to build up to the traditional exercises through progressions. Modern equipment has also evolved and there are quite a few notable differences in design.
For some more background into Pilates you can check out these interesting reads:
- Return To Life Through Contrology
- Your Health: A Corrective System of Exercising That Revolutionises the Entire Field of Physical Education
- Caged Lion: Joseph Pilates and His Legacy - By John Howard Steel
Happy International Pilates day 🥳