Pilates is a holistic exercise system created by Joseph Pilates. At the time that Joseph was teaching his system of exercise he called it ‘Contrology’. Joseph Pilates was born in Dusseldorf, Germany in 1880 and suffered from asthma, rickets and rheumatic fever as a child. He managed to overcome his childhood illnesses and physical limitations by developing his own physical fitness program. In 1923, Joseph left Germany and boarded a ship to the United States, and it was during this voyage that he met a nurse called Clara, who he ended up marrying.
After settling in New York, Joseph and Clara set up a fitness studio, sharing the same address with the New York City Ballet. By the early 1960s, Joe and Clara’s exercise system, now being called ‘Pilates’ was growing in popularity. From their humble beginnings in New York, Pilates has become one of the most popular holistic mind-body-movement systems of exercise throughout the world.
The primary focus of Pilates is to develop mind-body awareness in terms of posture and movement and very much aligns with the philosophy of Zura.
It brings together a combination of controlled movement and breathing to develop core strength and endurance in the deep stabilising abdominal muscles, while strengthening and toning the muscles, ligaments and tendons throughout the entire body.
According to the Pilates Method Alliance “The breath is an integral part of overall body functioning, increasing volume capacity, oxygenation, and other physiological changes. Full consistent inhalation and exhalation helps the circulatory system nourish all the tissues with oxygen-rich blood while carrying away impurities and metabolic waste. Pilates referred to this cleansing mechanism as the ‘internal shower’ which resulted in mental and physical invigoration and rejuvenation.”