1880: Joseph Hubertus Pilates, the German-born genius began his life as a sickly child suffering from asthma, rickets and rheumatic fever. Through his own investigative research, hard work and determination he amazingly rehabilitated himself to the extent that he became a model for anatomy charts at age 14 and experienced success as a boxer and gymnast. Joe was also a skilled skier and diver. Yes, from sickly to an all-around athlete.

1912: Joe moved to England to further his training as a boxer . However, he ended up utilizing his well developed strength, flexibility and stamina as a circus performer, performing a Greek statue act with his brother. By 1914, he was a star! Quite an amazing accomplishment in itself.

1914: WWI broke out and he and other Germans were sent to an internment camp in Lancaster. There, he taught wrestling and self-defense to other German nationals which probably boosted both strength and morale. This is also where the seeds of his work began to grow into the system we today call pilates.

Joe was later transferred to a second camp where he worked with internees who suffered from wartime diseases and incarceration. By ingeniously rigging mattress springs, he began converting hospital beds into exercise apparatus for the bedridden! His relentless determination, ingenuity and compassion must have been an incredible inspiration to those he cared for.

1918: The influenza epidemic broke out and none of Joe's followers succumbed; even though the camps were hit the hardest. The internees must have felt especially thankful and empowered. What great testimony to the efficacy of his holistic approach to fitness!

1925: Joe had returned to Germany after the war and began training the Hamburg Military Police in self defense and physical fitness. He was even invited to train the New German Army but refused due to conflicting political beliefs. If fact, he decided to leave Germany altogether and further his boxing training in the US. While on the boat en route to America, he helped rehabilitate a woman suffering from arthritic pain. That woman, Clara, became his wife.

1926: Joe and Clara arrived in NYC where they opened their first gym at 939 8th Avenue. The Art Of Contrology aka Pilates is born in America! Joe and Clara's students were primarily dancers because their gym shared the same building as many dance studios and rehearsal spaces. World famous choreographers such as George Balanchine, Martha Graham and Jerome Robbins would constantly send their dancers to Joe to "get fixed". This is why, today, so many people associate pilates with dancers.

1967: Joe died at age 87. Clara continued to run the studio until her own death in 1977. The good news is that Joe's legacy continues. There are myriads of Joe's Disciples intent on maintaining the integrity of his work. Pilates is now available worldwide via certified instructors at pilates studios, gyms, physical therapy and chiropractic offices and through pilates books and DVDs.

What is Pilates?

According to Joe in his book Return To Life Through Contrology, pilates is an approach to exercise that "develops the body uniformly, corrects wrong postures, restores physical vitality, invigorates the mind and elevates the spirit". It's a holistic form of exercise that includes over 500 exercises on several pieces of apparatus including the reformer, cadillac, high chair, wunda chair, ped-o-pull, ladder barrel, small barrel, spine corrector, magic circle plus exercises performed on a mat. (needless to say, pilates is never boring) Each exercise was designed to train your body to function synergystically rather than in isolated parts.

The foundation of all pilates exercises is what Joe referred to as your "powerhouse" or your core. It includes your abdominals and muscles of the pelvis, lower back and upper legs (basically, the muscles between the level of your elbows to the level of your knees.) Yes, Joe was way ahead of his time by realizing that all movement should come from a strong and stable center. A strong powerhouse translates into efficiency of movement, improved posture, long and lean muscles, a flexible spine and increased stamina.

Who does Pilates and why?

• professional athletes, dancers and weekend warriors: to improve performance by adding strength, stamina and flexibility
• business executives: to reduce stress and correct poor posture from sitting at a desk or on a plane for long hours
• physical therapy/ chiropractic patients: to alleviate chronic pain by restoring postural balance and facilitate post-operative rehabilitation
• expecting moms/ new moms: to alleviate the pain and discomfort associated with pregnancy and regulate excessive weight gain!
• celebrities: to be camera/ red carpet-ready

Basically, pilates benefits everyone who inhabits a body!