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History of PilatesJoseph Pilates was born in Germany 1880. A sickly, skinny child with asthma and no positive prognosis about his health and life expectation, he became intrigued with the Greek ideal of balance in body and mind that a beautiful body is flexible as well as strong. He taught himself physiology and anatomy, and eventually, he became an acrobat.When World War I broke out, Joseph Pilates lived in England and trained special agents at Scotland Yard. Because of that, he was interred as an Alien National. In prison camp Joseph Pilates kept everyone on his cellblock breathing and moving their limbs. For the bedridden, he created his first piece of equipment, a hospital bed with springs and a foot loop attached to the frame. Patients not only slept in them; they exercised in them: the Universal Reformer. While thousands of people were dying from the flu epidemic of 1918, Pilates kept every person on his cellblock alive and well with his Method until the end of the war. After returning to Germany, he worked for the Hamburg police and the local theater training the employees in his arts. Pilates left Germany due to political pressure and immigrated to New York were he opened his studio. Many actors, dancers and injured people learned his method - The Art of Contrology. In 1967 Joseph Pilates died at the age of 87. His wife Clara, regarded by many as the more superb teacher, continued to teach and run the studio until her death 10 years later, in 1977. There are only 5 first generation students of Joseph Pialtes left and they dedicated their lifes to teaching Joe's work ever since. |
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