Joseph Pilates

Joseph Pilates was a German-born physical trainer, writer, and inventor. He is credited with inventing and promoting the Pilates method of physical fitness. He patented a total of 26 apparatus in his lifetime. He was inspired by the ancient Greek ideal of man perfected in the development of body, mind, and spirit. He studied anatomy and developed himself as a bodybuilder, wrestler, gymnast, boxer, skier, and diver. He also studied yoga and the movements of animals. He called his system of exercises "Contrology", which emphasized the use of the mind to control the muscles. He taught his method to many dancers, athletes, and celebrities in his New York studio. He also wrote two books: "Your Health: A Corrective System of Exercising That Revolutionizes the Entire Field of Physical Education" (1934) and "Return to Life Through Contrology" (1945). He died in 1967 at the age of 83 from emphysema. His wife Clara continued to teach and run the studio until her death in 1977. His legacy lives on in the millions of people who practice Pilates around the world.