Joseph Pilates (1880-1968) was born near Dusseldorf, Germany and suffered as a child from rheumatic fever, rickets, and asthma. Refusing to succumb to these ailments, he immersed himself into learning both Western and Eastern forms of exercise. He wove these practices with elements from his experiences as a diver, gymnast, and boxer into his own method of exercise. During the great influenza epidemic that swept England he developed exercises for the bed ridden patients that could be done while in a hospital bed utilizing bed springs, ropes and pulleys. These creations led to his modern Pilates equipment that are in use today. During the 1920’s, Joseph and his wife, Clara, moved to New York City and opened the first Pilates studio.

Joseph's new fitness regiment requires complete focus on every breath and movement. Initially, it appealed to artists such as dancers and actors who were attracted to training of both the body and mind. There are many benefits of Pilates such as improvement of mental clarity, increased flexibility, improvement of posture, longer-leaner muscles, and overall strength without straining the body. Pilates has now boomed into a phenomenon that attracts an entire range of people, from celebrities, to the elderly, to those who are rehabilitating from an injury and want a safe, effective way to exercise.