Maggie Schlegel
Last updated September 23, 2024

What is the History of Pilates? War Camps to High Society…

… to Mainstream Workouts that Fit Your Lifestyle and Your Abilities.

If you’re looking for a deeper understanding of the Pilates exercise style, you need to learn about its unique beginnings and the life of the founder of Pilates – Joseph Hubertus Pilates.

At Sultivate, we believe the past is important… and quite frankly… we love the crazy history of Pilates. We feel, understanding the beginnings of Pilates gives a unique insight into how this amazing workout can fit your needs.

So today we’ll talk about the history of Pilates AND why it’s relevant to you for your workouts.

Let’s start with the most important ingredient – the founder.

What is the History of Pilates?

About Joseph Hubertus Pilates and the origin of Pilates

Joseph Pilates was German and immigrated to England. Born in 1880 to a gymnast (father) and a naturopath (mother) – Joseph Pilates was born with Asthma and Rickets. But he didn’t let it stop him from having an extremely active lifestyle.

Despite his physical limitations, in his early years¹ Joseph Pilates:

Started Tai Chi
Practiced Yoga
Mastered Skiing
Excelled at diving
Took up gymnastics
Began bodybuilding
Fought with Martial Arts
Was an anatomical model
Worked as a circus tumbler

While he was tumbling in a circus in England Joseph Hubertus Pilates, a German National, was interned in a camp at the start of World War 1 in 1914. This is where he started to develop concrete ideas about fitness and develop his exercise techniques.

Are you wondering what he called it? Joseph Pilates didn’t name it after himself, that came later… instead, he called it Contrology.

Contrology the beginning of Pilates

While Pilates was interned on the West coast of Britain, he was in charge of leading exercise workouts for his fellow inmates. Not having any exercise equipment, this is when Pilates started to develop his bodyweight exercise routines.

You may think of these routines as being similar to Mat Pilates.

He also worked as a nurse in the internment camp. While working in this capacity, he was determined to use what he knew about naturopath medicine and fitness to help his patients.

So he used bed springs to create resistance exercises for patients who couldn’t get out of bed. They would then complete leg and arm exercises where they lay.

You may have guessed already… this is what led to our modern-day Reformer Pilates Machines and the Cadillac reformer.

Then, Contrology shifted dramatically…

From the sick room to the studio

Once WWI ended, Pilates briefly went back to Germany where he worked with healthcare professionals.² He continued to learn how health and movement work together.

But he wasn’t there long before he headed to the United States – New York to be exact – in 1926.

It was in the United States where Joseph finalized the designs for the Reformer and Cadillac. They haven’t changed much over the years since this time.

It was also in New York that Contrology became established as a workout for the performance world.

Joseph Pilates and his new common-law wife Clara – who he possibly met ‘on the boat’ – began a Contrology studio where he primarily worked with dancers, gymnasts, circus performers, boxers, and high society people.

But Pilates – the workout – still wasn’t accessible to the mainstream public. Especially after Joseph died in 1967. Pilates had other, more mainstream, popular exercise techniques – like jazzercise and Aerobics³ – to compete against.

It wasn’t till after Joseph’s death that Pilates started to spread to the West Coast and Hollywood.

Some of Joseph’s former students of Pilates began to travel and took his methods with them. They opened up their own Pilates studios. With more than one Pilates studio in New York available to workout in, its popularity began to grow.

Slowly, as more and more people experienced the benefits of Pilates it became more mainstream.

This led to more and more Pilates studios opening up. It really wasn’t till the early 2000s that Pilates became accessible and available to the everyday fitness enthusiast.

“Breathing is the first act of life and the last. Our very life depends on it.”

– Joseph Pilates (the founder of Pilates)

As it spread, it became more accessible to everyday people. The benefits of Pilates became more available to all.

Pilates – Based on Health and Wellness

If the history of Pilates shows us anything, it’s that Pilates is a proven method for building strength and health.

Pilates is known for:

Injury prevention
Strength building
Improved balance
Posture correction
A better night’s sleep
More cardio endurance
Boosted immune system⁴
Increased mental cognition

A lot of this is due in large part to Joseph Pilates and his background in health and physical activity.

From his personal experiences with physical activity to his own poor health and how he set about to rise above it.

Joseph Hubert Pilates was in a unique position to test out new goals – and create success for patients and professionals alike – with his exercise methods.

Joseph gained all sorts of real-world knowledge and fine-tuning for his exercise methods. Pilates as an exercise system goes beyond many of the other exercise methods that are largely used in the athletic sphere.

But why does this matter for your Pilates workout this week?

How to Use Pilates for Your Own Health and Wellness Goals

So how should Pilates’ history shape your workout?

First, it’s a good idea to identify what your goals are for your Pilates workouts.

Are you looking for general fitness improvements, a great fitness community, and those feel-good exercise endorphins?

Do you have specific needs to create a pain-free, active lifestyle, that doesn’t hold you back?

Pilates is a great exercise method to meet many of your goals.

Pilates can be a stand-alone exercise program, but it also fits well into a larger exercise routine, especially if you’re looking for cross-training from your other workouts – like building different muscles and preventing your days from growing stale.

Whether you’re a mom, a ballerina, a bodybuilder, or just want to move your body with intention… Joseph Pilates taught us that almost any athlete or person can benefit from the core-building exercises Pilates is built on.

There are even different types of Pilates workouts for different needs. Try a Mat Pilates class or take a ride on the Reformer in a Reformer Pilates class.

If you’re new to the world of Pilates, you’ll benefit from joining a strong Pilates community.

Pilates in Sedona and Cottonwood, AZ

Not only are there different types of Pilates – there are also endless ways to make a Pilates exercise easier or harder. Remember all those bedridden patients? You may not be bedridden, but Pilates can still fit your capabilities.

At Sultivate, we offer progressions and regressions for each exercise throughout your classes.

Progressions make it harder. They include things like:

“If you want to make it more difficult, slowly alternate lifting a leg up in the air.”

Regressions make it easier:

“If it’s burning too much to hold yourself up on your feet, drop to your knees for the remainder of this exercise.”

If you’re looking for general wellness then our group Pilates classes are a great choice for you.

If you need more personalized attention then our Private Pilates lessons are a great way to get an individualized Pilates program set up for you to follow.

Not sure if Pilates is right for you? Email us at info@sultivate.com and we’ll be happy to talk through your class options with you!