a briefing to Joseph Pilates

"Physical fitness is the first requisite of happiness" - Joseph Pilates


Joseph Pilates was born in 1883 in germany. He had Rheumatic fever, asthma and Rickets.
He wanted to overcome his health problems so studied and developed an exercise programme that assisted in restoring him to optimal health. Many of the exercise’s he researched dated back to the romans and Greeks.From his programme he became an accomplished body builder, skier, gymnast and diver.At the age of 32 he moved to england and trained self defence to members of the police force.
During the first world war he was interned at a camp where many of them needed serious rehabilitation.
During this time he noticed muscle imbalances and the body’s ability to over compensate with other muscles to assist the weakest one.He worked on correcting misalignments and re educating the body so that injuries did not repeat themselves.
He believed true well being could be achieved through physical fitness.
Pilates brings together mind and body together, focusing on concentration, balance, precision and breathing.

For the record there is much, much more to this story and how the work has progressed, but i must prepare myself now for a lecture where i too will find out more of what is to be known.