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*The History of Pilates

In order to understand the basics of Pilates and why it can
work for you, you first need to understand where Pilates came
from. Pilates was originally formed in Germany by a man of the
same name, Joseph Pilates.

Joseph Pilates had many health afflictions as a child. The boy
wanted to overcome the hardships he faced. He hoped exercise
would not only boost his morale, but also his body’s defense
against his illnesses.

The year was 1880 when Joseph Pilates was born. During his
youthful years, he tried a number of things to try to strengthen
his body. After several failed attempts to create the perfect
program for his frail form he came up with the series of
movements we now know as Pilates. However, it wasn’t until the
1920’s that the movements Joseph Pilates created were truly
perfected.

One of the things that make Pilates so great is that the
movements and exercises you do seek to give you strength and
flexibility, but not to build any serious amount of bulk to your
frame. Pilates is not about building muscle, it is about working
with your body and not against it. You need to be able to take
what you have been given and make that work for you before
attempting anything else and that is the philosophy that Pilates
was founded on.

As you learn more about Pilates you will find that it is
designed for each person’s body. Pilates will align your bones
through a series of movements and this will allow your body to
work with less strain thanks to the activity of exercise you are
achieving.

Pilates appeals to a number of people. It doesn’t matter what
type of person you are or what level of training your body is
at. Pilates can help you improve your body’s natural functioning
as well as help boost confidence and your mental wellness.

The most wonderful thing you will discover about Pilates is
that you don’t have to suffer through the movements to feel
better. You are training your body with intelligent design and
therefore you will not need to work twice as hard, as you may
have to do with other work out programs.

Pilates was set up to create balance within your body. This
will help you to realign your bones and can also help to improve
your posture. Another positive feature is the lean muscles that
you will form thanks to your workouts.

Pilates is excellent exercise for everyone no matter their
shape or size. In fact, many videos and exercise clubs have
created classes for people with disabilities, arthritis, general
strength or weight loss issues, different strength issues, and
even for pregnant or birthing mothers.