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Joseph Pilates, a German native (b. 1880), dedicated his life to studying and developing methods of sustaining health and fitness after a frail childhood during which he suffered asthma, rickets, and rheumatic fever. He moved to England in 1912 where he trained detectives and military police in self-defense. During World War I, Pilates was interned as an “enemy alien” with other Germans in Lancaster. He became a nurse during that time and trained other camp internees to keep physically fit with his unique exercises that used spring resistance. He was given credit when none of his trainees succumbed to the infamous 1918 flu epidemic. After the War, he relocated to Hamburg where he resumed police force training classes. He later emigrated to New York City where he trained Max Schmelling, the renowned German boxer, and opened his first studio in the early 1920s. He offered instruction to people from all walks of life: working men and women, circus performers, boxers, and health enthusiasts. As his reputation grew, celebrities and notable choreographers, including Martha Graham and George Balanchine, promoted the remarkable benefits of Pilates’ method of body conditioning for sustaining strength and flexibility and for rehabilitating injuries. Pilates continued to develop his body conditioning system and his design of specific exercise equipment throughout his lifetime.
Pilates incorporates workout/fitness and rehabilitation methodology for individuals seeking safe, personalized, accessible means to participate in meaningful physical activity as they progress through adulthood and on into their senior years. Over the past 80 years, Pilates methodology has attracted millions of people in the United States and Europe. Today, many clients invest in private sessions with certified instructors because Pilates is beneficial to their health and well-being.
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