Who was Joseph Pilates?

Joseph Pilates was born in Germany in 1880. In the year 1912 he moved to England and earned a living as a boxer, circus performer, and a self-defense trainer. In WWI he was sent to a camp in Lancaster where he trained other inmates about fitness and exercise. This was Pilates started.

It was 1925 when Joseph Pilates moved to the U.S. on a ship. This is where he met is future wife named Clara. In New York they started a studio and taught students until the 1960's.

Pilates was an exercise that used the mind to control the muscles of the body. It focused on the core muscles of the abdomen and helped to keep the body balanced. A balanced body is going to provide support for the spine.

Pilates helps to learn awareness for breathing and alignment of the spine to put strength in the torso muscles. A strong core muscle can help to relieve the back and neck of any pain.

When Joseph Pilates was young he was sick and had asthma, rickets and rheumatic fever. It was after this time that he began to dedicate his life to better health and wanted to be stronger.

When he was 14 he was fit enough to post for anatomical charts because of his practicing of gymnastics and bodybuilding.

He also believed that the core of poor health was brought on from poor breathing and terrible posture. His practice of Pilates is without question the most popular form of exercise today.

Two Forms of Pilates

There are usually two forms of Pilates. There are the mat bases ones and equipment based Pilate's exercises. With Pilates, the quality of exercises is the main goal.

Exercises should be performed through a slow sustained type of movement using abdominal control and the proper breathing methods. There are many books and videos that are on the market to help the consumer but it is important to see good instruction from a qualified Pilate's teacher to get the right results.

The mat based Pilates exercises are usually the most popular type. This is a series of exercises that are done on the floor using gravity and your bodies own weight to make resistance.

The general goal of mat based Pilates is to condition the deeper supporting muscles of the body and to improve the posture and the balance of coordination.

Equipment based Pilates are for the more serious Pilates person. This form of Pilates will include specific equipment and some form of equipment based items.

Pilates also has free weights like dumbbells that will also offer resistance to the muscles. The equipment can be expensive if it is not properly used it could make it hard for the body to make muscles and tone right.

It is important that the equipment is used correctly and most people who practice the equipment based Pilates do so with the right Pilate's trainer.

Pilates is very low impact and it is important to know the general precautions before beginning Pilates.

Many people should talk to their doctor first before taking it on. Women that are pregnant should ask their doctor first.

People that are over the age of 40 with any preexisting medical condition or muscle problems, or that are obese should speak with their doctor first.

Using Pilates for Rehabilitation

It is noted that due to the low impact of the Pilates system, it can be used for rehabilitation. There are going to be limitations of course and you will probably not see anyone with a broken bone in front of their TV doing Pilates.

It is very important for anyone who wants to do a program like Pilates while rehabilitating from an injury will need to have the approval of their physician.

It is very crucial that a person go to a professional instructor to prevent damage from further injuries happening.

Joseph Pilates started the system of exercises as a form of rehabilitation and conditioning to help improve health overall.

When he was a child he was always sick with rickets, asthma and rheumatic fever. During WWI Joseph Pilates continued to develop and use their work to help the rehabilitation of wounded war veterans.

Many of the medical professionals today found the benefits and therapeutic potential of their systems and many of the hospitals and clinics now offer Pilates as a form of their rehabilitation training methods.

The exercises are very helpful to patients who are hurt or challenged physically. Pilates helps to balance and strength the pelvis, hips and lower back to support the deeper muscles.

The exercises of Pilates will help to prevent injuries and lower the problems from preexisting conditions.

Pilates has also proven to be effective in the treatment of sharp and chronic back pain, osteoporosis, sports injuries and auto and work related injuries. Some will also find relief from head injuries and scoliosis.

Pilates has also made a huge contribution to rehab by helping doctors to effectively identify and develop the movement of a patient. Any patient that is confined to a wheelchair may find that they can develop a good amount of core strength and give them good overall health.