The Pilates Passion- Why “The Whole World Should Be Doing My Exercises”

Did you know in the late 60’s less than 50 people in the world were practicing Pilates, known then as “Contrology”.

In author John Howard Steel’s book called “Caged Lion”, he tells of the last words Joseph Pilates muttered to him. They were;

“Just a matter of time- Contrology was perfect, people will awaken to their need of it to survive in the modern world. I was forty years to soon”.

He was correct! Now 55 years after Joseph Pilates death, over 20 million people all over the world are practicing some form of Pilates. How was Joseph Pilates able to predict that his unusual exercise method would be one the most popular and effective forms of movement of the 21st century?

After studying Pilates for over 25 years, I believe the answer lies in his description of the method. Joseph Pilates describes it himself as “the complete coordination of body, mind & spirit”.

When your body’s posture is correct, when your spine is flexible like a cat and torso strong as the trunk of an oak tree, you naturally feel mentally and spiritually uplifted. The Pilates exercises somehow accomplish this perfectly, along with the attainment of mind/body control, suppleness, grace and strength.

This is all done without as Joseph Pilates states in “Return To Life”, “unnecessary pounding or throbbing of your heart”, as many of the exercises are done in a recumbent position which will not aggravate any undetected weakness in the internal structure of the body. How brilliant is that!

As we shower every day, the body requires its own internal shower. Pilates provides this shower by driving blood to every organ and cell in the body. This is done with exercises that lift the legs over the head (short-spine) , twist the torso (snake twist) , fold the body in half (teaser) and open the chest (swan dive). In addition, Pilates requires you to breathe correctly; completely exhaling and inhaling to charge the body with fresh oxygen. The impact of doing this results in less fatigue, less disease and a more invigorated mind/body.

Joseph & Clara Pilates with John Howard Steel 1965. John Howard Steel wrote the surprising bestseller “ Caged Lion- Joseph Pilates & His Legacy”, available on AMAZON

Joseph Pilates did state that “ it would be a grave error to assume that Contrology exercises alone will remake a man or woman into an entirely physically fit person”. So what will? He suggested;

a) Proper diet ( only enough food to restore the fuel consumed by the body)

b) Relaxation at stated fixed intervals throughout our workday

c) Sunshine and fresh air

d) Good sleep on a firm mattress

e) A good stiff brush to clean out the pores and remove dead skin

It easy to see how people all over the world are passionate about Pilates! Possibly through genius, inspiration and obsessive drive (read “Caged Lion” by John Howard Steel), Joseph Pilates created an exercise method the whole world is benefiting from.

Nigel Sampson

Co-owner WBM