About Pilates
Is an exercise technique carefully developed and refined over a period of more than sixty years of use and observation, and it has been taught for nearly a hundred years. The method's goal (beyond slimming and strengthening) is to create a closer connection between mind and body, so that effortlessly you will move with economy, grace, and balance; you will hold yourself correctly; and you will use your body to the greatest advantage, making the most of its strengths, counteracting its weaknesses, and correcting its imbalances.
There are eight basic principals of the Pilates method: Concentration, relaxation, alignment, breathing, centering, precision, flowing movement, coordination. Qualified Pilates practitioners are mindful of these principles at all times, during both the execution of the exercises and the teaching of the movements. They are the foundation of this mind-body system and are what make the Pilates method unique.
"Physical fitness is the first requisite of happiness", what Joseph Pilates' opening statement claims is that the mind and body are intricately linked and that the condition of the body influences state of the mind, and vice versa.
Referrals from Physios, Osteopaths, Chiropractors and General Practitioners
Joseph Humbertus Pilates(1880-1967)
Joseph Pilates was a frail, sickly German child who suffered from rickets, asthma and rheumatic fever. He was determined to overcome this fragility but instead of following an established fitness regime, he experimented with many different approaches (Yoga, gymnastics, skiing, self-defense, dance, circus training, weight training) and recognised the different elements of these methods in his teaching after having proved their worth on his own body.
He was interned in Lancashire during the First World War and then the Isle of Man. He helped out in the camp infirmary and further developed his techniques training his fellow internees with amazing success. Many of them were war veterans who had been horrendously wounded and these injuries had, in some cases, resulted in amputations. Much of Joseph Pilates' knowledge of rehabilitation comes from this period.
In 1926, he decided to emigrate to the United States. On the boat he met his future wife Clara and, when they realised they shared the same views on fitness, they decided to set up a studio in New York. This attracted top ballet dancers, actors and actresses, gymnasts and athletes.