Pilates: A Story That Began in War and Now Transforms Bodies Worldwide

It might seem like a modern boutique studio trend, with neat mats and stylized routines. But Pilates wasn't born in a gym; it was born in an internment camp during World War I. And what started as a survival method is now a tool for physical and mental transformation.

Yes, Pilates has over a hundred years of history. And understanding its origin helps us practice it with more awareness and respect.

Who Was Joseph Pilates and How Did This Method Begin?

Joseph Pilates was born in Germany in 1883. The son of a gymnast and a naturopath, he grew up surrounded by movement and natural health. He was a gymnast, boxer, and diver, but his greatest creation emerged during one of the most difficult times of his life.

In 1912, he was living in England as a self-defense instructor. But with the start of World War I, he was interned along with other Germans on the Isle of Man. There, amidst confinement, without access to equipment or space, he developed a series of exercises he called Contrology: a way to move the body with precision, awareness, and total control. He used hospital bed springs to create resistance, adapting movements to help rehabilitate other injured internees, and thus the embryo of what we now know as Pilates was born.

The Evolution of a Technique That Never Stopped

In 1926, Joseph emigrated to the United States with his wife, Clara. They opened a studio in New York, which soon filled with dancers, athletes, and artists seeking to heal or perfect their physical performance.

Clara, with limited English but enormous teaching ability, became the true master of the studio. Together, they taught through contact, observation, and constant practice.

Joseph not only designed the technique but also created the apparatus we still use today: the Reformer, the Cadillac, the Wunda Chair, the Barrel, among others. All were born from the same principle: to work the body as an integrated unit, with control, breath, and precision.

From Contrology to Contemporary Pilates

During his lifetime, Joseph wrote two fundamental books: "Your Health" (1932) and "Return to Life Through Contrology" (1945). In them, he expounded his holistic vision of the body: mind, body, and spirit working in harmony.

After his death in 1967, his students and apprentices continued to teach and adapt his method. Today, modern Pilates incorporates exercise science, functional anatomy, and technology, but maintains the fundamental principles of the original method.

A Legacy That Continues to Grow

Pilates isn't a fad. It's a method that has proven its effectiveness for generations. From an internment camp in 1914 to studios around the world in 2025, its evolution is proof that conscious movement, when born from necessity and intelligence, can transcend centuries and borders.

If you want to practice Pilates with depth, history, and technique, we invite you to do so with us. We offer in-person and online classes for all levels. Because this practice is for everyone, and so is its history.