La historia de Pilates
THE HISTORY OF PILATES
Pilates has been developed and practiced since 1920´s when Joseph and Clara Pilates opened their “Body Conditioning Gym” in NY.
Joseph Pilates was born near Düsseldorf, Germany in 1880. Little is known about his early life, but he appears to have been a frail child. His drive and determination led him to become a competent gymnast, diver and skier. In 1912 Pilates lived in England working as a circus performer, boxer and self-defence instructor. During the First Word War, he was interned with other German nationals. During this time he developed his technique of physical fitness further, by teaching his fellow internees.
During the latter part of the war, he served in a hospital on the Isle of Man where he worked with patients unable to walk. He attached bed springs to the hospital beds to help support the patients´ limbs, leading to the development of a piece of equipment known as “Cadillac”. Pilates emigrated to the USA in the early 1920´s with his wife Clara, and together they developed and taught the method in their “Body Conditioning Studio” in NY in 1926. During his lifetime this method of exercise was called Contrology. It was only after his death, in 1967,that it became known as the Pilates Method.