The History of Pilates - Pt 1

Let's learn a little bit more about Joseph Pilates, the creator of Pilates.

Joseph H. Pilates was born on December 9th, 1883, in Germany. Joseph was influenced from an early age by his father, Friedrich, who was a locksmith by trade, an avid practitioner of gymnastics, boxing, and martial arts. Joseph was introduced to both of these at an early age by his father, which you can see the influence of within the Pilates practice.

His mother, Helene, was, as we call it today, a stay-at-home mother. With a large family to care for, 9 children, and little means to do so, she turned to natural remedies and practices. Unfortunately, she passed away around the time Joseph was 18 years old.

I have read that he was very ill growing up, suffering from rickets, asthma, and more, and that he turned to physical fitness to heal his body. It was said he learned how to breathe deeply and practiced it daily, which eventually cured him of his asthma. If this is true, it is unknown. I would think there is some truth to this, as he was very adamant about the importance of breath for our overall health.

Growing up, he struggled to make ends meet but continued to dedicate himself to physical culture, Eastern and Western medicine, and Green & Roman philosophy.

It is said that he found a discarded anatomy book and that really prompted him to study the inner workings of the human body. He was set on pursuing a path of movement training as a form of self-healing and physical fitness.

I will continue in part 2 of the history of Joesph Pilates, starting with when the war broke out and things drastically changed for him.