Joseph Humbertus Pilates was born in Germany in 1880. He spent his childhood fighting rickets, asthma and rheumatic fever. Determined to become physically immune to the effects of his ailments Joseph studied yoga, zen meditation and the rigorous exercise regimes of the ancient Greeks and Romans. By his teens, Joseph was excelling in body building, diving, gymnastics and skiing.

In 1912, Joseph moved to England where he worked as a boxer, circus performer and trained detectives in self defence. World War 1 broke out in 1914 and Joe was interned as a prisoner of war (POW) in Lancaster and was later moved to the Isle of Man. Here, Joseph was first recognised for his expertise in illness prevention. Joseph physical fitness routines are said to have prevented he and his fellow prisoners from contracting the influenza that killed thousands of POW's.

While in the Isle of Man, Joseph trained as a nurse/orderly in a local hospital and was appalled to see so many ill people lying in bed doing no exercise. He devised a gentle exercise program for inpatients under his care. It soon became evident that the patients completing Josephs exercises were improving faster than other patients. With the endorsement of the doctors, Joseph progressed his exercises to incorporate the use of resistance via springs from old hospital beds. His rationale for the use of springs was that the springs would provide progressive resistance and bear weight at the same time to enable only partial loading forces on muscles, tendons, and ligaments and thus improve healing. He was right!

When the war ended Joseph returned to Germany to continue his fitness programs with the German police force. In 1926 Joseph immigrated to America and married Clara. In New York ,Joseph and Clara opened the first pilates studio on eighth avenue in which Pilates, the man and the technique, grew in popularity.

Over the next 20 years Joseph Pilates created a dynasty within the elite New York dance culture that saw a close relationship develop between Pilates and celebrities like George Ballenchine and Martha Graham. He was then invited by George Ballenchine to instruct his young ballerinas at the New York Ballet.

The 'modified Pilates Rehabilitation Program' is based on this original work. It combines the principles of Joes early work with current research into muscle physiology, muscle function & dysfunction, local & global stability & biomechanics to create a safe, clinically effective program for rehabilitation.

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