About Pilates

Pilates is a system of full-body exercises performed on a mat and on specially-designed equipment. These exercises help you integrate breathing, alignment and movement. Through the resistance of springs and pulleys, Pilates allows you to enhance your range of motion, build core strength, and uniformly develop both your body and mind. By emphasizing correct posture and alignment, Pilates helps you gain strength, stability, and mobility.

The system was created by Joseph H. Pilates during World War I, to assist injured and bedridden soldiers in their rehabilitation. He began by taking springs from their beds and rigging them to create resistance, which strengthened his patients as they recovered from their injuries. Later he designed equipment such as The Reformer and Cadillac, which are still the mainstays of Pilates practice today.

Pilates has proven invaluable not only as a fitness endeavor itself, but also as an important adjunct to professional sports training and physical rehabilitation of all kinds. Since it was first developed, the method has helped everyone from dancers and actors to individuals dealing with chronic illness or injury, to those needing help with core fitness and alignment.