Joseph Pilates’ Contrology
Pilates is an exercise system that was created and developed by Joseph Pilates starting over a hundred years ago. Joe—as he is affectionately known—called his exercise system Contrology, but we now know it as Pilates or the Pilates Method. The basic principles of Pilates/Contrology are Breathing, Concentration, Control, Centering, Precision, Balanced Muscle Development, Rhythm/Flow, Whole Body Movement, and Relaxation. Doesn’t sound much like early 1900s thinking, does it? Joe was truly decades ahead of his time and was never widely recognized during his lifetime for his revolutionary thinking and exercise system. But, lucky for us, his legacy of how to train the body and mind for perfect health has lived on through a lineage of dedicated teachers.
Joseph Pilates was born in Germany in 1883. He was a gymnast, boxer, and trainer like his father and he developed and refined his unique exercise system throughout his life. In 1926 he moved to NYC where he opened his first stateside gym in a building that happened to be shared with the NYC Ballet. He soon had injured dancers coming to see him for rehabilitation, as well as being popular among ordinary people looking to improve their health and fitness. He was also an inventor and designed and built all of the Pilates apparatus that we still use today, including the Reformer, Cadillac, Chair, Ladder Barrel, and Spine Corrector.
Pilates today spans a range of styles, from classical teachers who strive to follow Joe’s original instructions to a T, to somewhat contemporary teachers (like me!) who always honor and stay true to Joe’s work, while making some modifications based on modern exercise principles.