Why Choose Pilates? Joseph Pilates’s Legacy.
In 1883, Joseph Pilates was born in Germany. Pilates was ill as a child, and many thought he would not survive through his youth. Instead, the young man decided to weight train and become a body-builder. As his health regained vitality, so did his career. He became a model of healthiness, posing for anatomy artists. Pilates was immersed with his work in fitness and wanted to do more in the field. He wanted other people to better their physical well-being just like he did; it saved his life. With this in mind, he thought that he could save many others.
Pilates wanted to help other people, so he began studying and pursuing other types of exercise. He researched gymnastics, weight training, meditation, martial arts, and yoga. He combined Eastern and Western influences to figure out which practice showed the best results. To earn a living, Pilates moved to England in 1913 and joined a circus troupe as an acrobat and tumbler. Despite his growing fame, he could not escape World War I. Both he and his circus workers were imprisoned because of Pilates’s German heritage. However, he used this internment as time to practice his physical abilities and develop new ways of working the body. This, as we know it today, was the beginning of the Pilates regimen.
Pilates, the exercise and the man, helped prisoners during WWI maintain their health. He became a teacher, and soon after in 1919, upon his return to Germany, Pilates did not stop aiding others in their fitness journeys. He eventually created the Universal Reformer, a type of equipment used to heal and improve people’s bodily conditions and wounds. After working as a boxing trainer for a time, he traveled to America and settled there in 1926. While there, he improved upon his Universal Apparatus, and instead called it Contrology. The addition of leather straps allowed users to mimic a rowing motion. He also developed more techniques for people to use when exercising and recovering from injury, especially for dancers.
From there, Pilates became a healer for dancers. He showed them ways to workout while staying safe. He even got his very first Pilates studio. As his life went on, Pilates published numerous books on his exercise program, how to live a healthy life, and how to heal one’s own body. His legacy continues to be a prominent part of exercising nowadays for warmups, cool downs, and entire workouts. Pilates once said, “lt is the mind itself which builds the body.” This statement remains true and distinguishes Pilates apart from the rest.
Why Choose Pilates?
So, why choose Pilates over other forms of exercise? The answer can be given in multiple ways with several different reasons, but one of the main takeaways is discipline. Just as Pilates stated, a well-trained mind can work the body. Discipline is just as important as physical exertion in an exercise. While every exercise relies on mental duress, Pilates takes it to another level. The mental power required to perform Pilates is the same power needed to push a stone up a mountain. Now, the circumstances are a bit less extreme in working out, but the fact still remains true. Self-discipline is such a vital trait to possess, and people need it in any kind of situation. Pilates not only promotes this, but it also harnesses its power.
Just like martial arts, Pilates prioritizes the power of self-discipline. If someone wants to work harder, they must do it themselves. They must tense their muscles more and increase their repetitions (reps). It is safe and it is effective, which is what Pilates taught pupils many years ago. It is a form of exercise that works both mind and body into harmony with each other. It grounds people, humbling their ego and building confidence. It also pushes limits, while focusing on safety and rehabilitation. As a whole, Pilates works wonders for people of all ages, shapes, and sizes. As long as it is practiced consistently, results can be seen within a week or so. The body will transform in ways that seem impossible. There is no real reason why anyone should shrug off the power of Pilates. If they do, it’s because they haven’t tried it yet. There are pros and cons with the exercise form, despite Pilates’s research, but every type of workout has upsides and downsides. Either way, Pilates is a brilliant way to exert energy and gain strength. If it worked for people back in the 1900s, it can work today.
