Joseph Pilates' Art

Pilates is a form of exercise that people often associate with a giant rubber exercise ball. To the uninitiated, any form of isometric exercise with or without such a ball is Pilates. However, the exercise is more specific than that.

Pilates was originally not a form of exercise at all, but a person, specifically Joseph Pilates, born in 1883 in Germany, the son of Greek immigrants. He was not very healthy as a child, but a regular regimen of exercise and diet eventually become strong enough to become an athlete like his father. Joseph's father was a professional Greek gymnast who won many awards. Joseph took up gymnastics, diving, bodybuilding, boxing. He was also a circus performer and teacher of self-defense training.

During World War II, Joseph was interred by the British because of his German heritage. While in the camp, he was unable to continue his exercises as normal, but wanted to continue to keep his health up. Being an enthusiast of yoga, Joseph began to develop his own system of workouts based on that discipline that could be conducted in a limited space with limited equipment. Pilates, the exercise, was born.

Pilates tends to focus on posture as much as actual exercise, and as such is an ideal activity for people with back or joint trouble. The exercise focus on strengthening the abdominal and back muscles, under the idea that without a strong core, building strong limbs is more difficult or even dangerous. Without a strong core, muscle imbalances can occur, eventually causing injury.

Joseph Pilates originally intended for the discipline to be called contrology, from the Greek works meaning "control" and "study". He felt that concentrating on performing each muscle movement in an exactly precise way would yield the best results, and this one of the core values of the discipline today. In this way, Pilates is similar to yoga, which Joseph studied before developing Pilates.

Another core value crucial to Pilates borrowed from yoga is breath. Because many of the movements focus on the core, breathing properly is essential if the movement is to be executed properly. A strong core improves breathing, and learning to breathe while working the core is good for concentration. Other core values include centering, flow, and precision, which share some attributes with the aforementioned values.

Today yoga and Pilates have taken root in urban and suburban America, from New York to Los Angeles, and from Seattle to Phoenix. While yoga is old enough to be available to anyone, Pilates was quite recently the brainchild of a single person, and thus subject to trademark. However, Pilates has become popular enough that a lawsuit was sparked to determine if those not associated with Joseph's family could teach Pilates under the Pilates name. Courts ruled that the name would be public domain.

For Pilates Scottsdale, Arizona is a popular location, and has a devoted following. Pilates Phoenix is a great way to stay fit when the temperatures climb outside - since it can be done in a limited space in an air conditioned room.