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Joseph Pilates, born in Germany in the late 1800's, spent most of his youth in ill health. He was able to overcome his health issues with bodybuilding and exercise. Exercise, as it turned out, became his life. By his late teens he had become an accomplished athlete. During World War 1 Joseph was interned in England as an "enemy alien" with other German nationals. It was during this time that he refined his ideas and trained other internees in his system of exercise. He was interested in the concept of conditioning the body using the mind. Before Pilates was known by it's namesake, Pilates referred to his system as controlology. Using bed springs and furniture, he created equipment that could be used for resistance exercise by the bedridden. In 1918 England suffered an influenza outbreak that killed thousands. Not one person following Josephs exercise system died.

After his release Joseph returned to Germany, where his system gained some popularity with the dance community. Shortly after his return he was asked to train the German army his system of exercise. He decided to leave Germany for good.

In 1923 Joseph Pilates immigrated to the United States. During his voyage he met Clara, a nurse, who would later become his wife, and together; until his death they worked to refine and share Josephs work with others. His teachings became very popular among the dance community in this country, and stayed that way for many years.

Some years after his death, the Pilates system started finding its way outside of the dance community, and now, almost 40 years after his death, millions of Americans practice Pilates.

I believe that Joseph would not be a bit surprised that his system would one day be considered fitness mainstream. He was known to say often, "I'm fifty years ahead of my time."

Simply defined: The focus of Pilates is on strengthening the "powerhouse" (abs & buttocks) by implementing controlled movements with much attention to systematic breathing.