About Pilates “Pilates is the attainment and maintenance of a uniformly developed body with a sound mind, fully capable of naturally performing our many daily tasks with spontaneous zest and pleasure.”—Joseph Pilates Pilates is a physical training technique that teaches the muscles to move the bones in the most efficient way. The work is effective for rehabilitation, postural problems, and overall fitness. Pilates is normally done on specialized equipment and or mats using the resistance of springs and or the weight of one's own body. As a fitness program, it is a whole body workout that develops long lean toned muscles with full range of motion. The strength, flexibility, muscle balance and physical awareness that you gain from a Pilates program can help prevent injury in life or sport. Pilates has long been used by professional athletes because it refines strength, balance and coordination. Its ability to produce lithe and lean physiques has made Pilates popular in the dance and entertainment communities as well. Now many people are finding that this uniquely integrated exercise system helps address the needs of their lifestyle. By focusing on experiencing movements from the inside out, Pilates conditioning retrains faulty movement patterns, deepens breathing, releases tension and increases whole body awareness. The Pilates method has been practiced for over eighty years. The method was developed by Joseph Pilates. He started life as a sickly child. He developed himself into an athlete with a varied career as a circus performer, martial arts instructor and competitive boxer. He started sharing and fine tuning his method working with fellow prisoners during World War I, then later working with disabled wartime victims using the springs from the hospital beds for resistance.  Joseph Pilates immigrated to the United States in 1926 and shortly after established the first Pilates Studio in New York City. His studio caught the attention of such dance legends as George Ballanchine, Hanya Holm, and Martha Graham who sent their students to him to repair knees, backs, joints and muscle pulls. In the last decade, Pilates has become a mainstay not only for dancers, celebrities, professional athletes, but also for people in all walks of life.