All About Pilates

What is Pilates? Benefits of Pilates Common Questions about Pilates What is Original Pilates®? History of Joseph H. Pilates Chronology of Joseph H. Pilates Quotes from Joseph H. Pilates Mary Pilates Museum Collection Pilates Principles Pilates Thoughts & Philosophies Pilates Placement Tips Pilates Styles New Study about Mat Training: Results After Just Eight Weeks

What is Pilates?

Pilates is defined as the science and art of coordinated body-mind-spirit development to achieve total fitness. The promise of eternal youth and fitness was made possible by Joseph H. Pilates. Pilates is the most effective complete body conditioning method ever developed. It was published by Pilates over a half century ago in his renowned book, Return to Life. His remarkable fitness and longevity techniques (also known as Contrology) were decades ahead of their time and he is now recognized as one of the original pioneers of the health and fitness revolution.

Pilates is designed to achieve total fitness. You use your own body's resistance to perform a series of movements in a precise sequence. The movements stimulate every muscle, tendon and organ in the human body and were designed to make you feel refreshed, lean, tone muscles, lengthen the body, and dramatically improve strength, flexibility, balance, posture and coordination. Pilates is beneficial to everyone and will improve your abilities in all sports, including golf and tennis, and enhance all other daily activities you participate in. Pilates is not just "exercise," but a complete body conditioning and balancing system that will make you feel refreshed, not exhausted, and give you a sense of both physical and emotional well-being.

Pilates has been endorsed by physicians worldwide and is also used by some as a form of physical therapy. Pilates is done on the "Mat" and on specially designed equipment modeled after the equipment used by Joseph H. Pilates in his Original Pilates Studio in New York. It conditions the entire body without the use of weights or exhausting workouts and without stress to the joints. Joseph H. Pilates first marketed Pilates as one "...made to order for those who desire the secret of eternal youth..." Withstanding the test of time to this day, Pilates has been proven as the most efficient and effective method of complete mind and body fitness ever developed. After just a few sessions of Pilates, you will see your body start to transform!

As Joseph Pilates himself said, "You will feel better in 10 sessions, look better in 20 sessions, and have a completely new body in 30 sessions."