The Pilates Method is a physical conditioning technique
that was originated by Joseph H. Pilates in the 1920s.
Pilates was a performer, boxer and inventor living in
England at the outbreak of WWI. Placed under forced
internment with other German nationals in Lancaster, he
began using the bedsprings of the infirmary beds and
various ingenious solutions to help internees recover
from sickness and injury. Following some 20 years of
experimentation, Pilates’ devotion to exercise and health
eventually led to a system of exercise involving selfdesigned
exercise machines that he called Contrology,
known now as The Pilates Method.

The Pilates Method is an approach to fitness that
develops deep core strength, balanced flexibility
and endurance. Each Pilates exercise is designed to
strengthen and stretch complementary muscle groups
simultaneously in order to enhance the articulation and
muscular support of the spine, increase the range of
motion of joints, and optimize a balanced relationship
between joint mobility and stability for proper movement
function. Essential components of The Pilates Method
include: enhanced body awareness, the development
of an efficient and leaner muscular tone, integration of
the fundamental role of breath support for all movement
expression, conscious awareness and physical control.
Students learn to minimize unnecessary strain on
the neck, spine, and lower back developing skills that
encourage us to work with our body, not against it.