Pilates as Physical Therapy™

German born, Joseph Pilates (1883-1967) was a sickly child. He suffered from asthma, rickets, and rheumatic fever, and he dedicated his entire life to improving his physical strength. He was introduced by his father to gymnastics and body-building, and to martial arts like jiu-jitsu and boxing. Pilates came to believe that the "modern" life-style, bad posture, and inefficient breathing lay at the roots of poor health. Pilates was originally a gymnast and bodybuilder, but when he moved to England in 1912, he earned a living as a professional boxer, a circus-performer, and a self-defense trainer at police schools and Scotland Yard. During World War I, the English forced him into an internment camp because he was German. There he developed exercise programs and equipment from the beds and springs to exercise train himself and his fellow inmates. After WWI, Pilates returned to Germany and collaborated with important experts in dance and physical exercise such as Rudolf Laban. In Hamburg, he trained police officers. Some of the early use of Pilates's exercise methods included rehabilitation of seriously injured veterans. In 1925, he moved to New York and opened his exercise studio. He began by training professional dancers. In this course, you will learn scientifically what Joseph knew intuitively, and how to adopt Joseph’s principles and genius. You will be able to recognize an authentic Pilates teacher and choose how to weave this powerful information into your lifestyle.