(9 December 1883 – 9 October 1967)
The founder of the method of contrology, which is known as Pilates in the present day.
As a child, he suffered a lot of diseases such as rickets, asthma, and others, which has inspired him to keep his body in a good physical condition. He pursued a lot of sports, from gymnastics through boxing to skiing. He studied yoga and thai ti and was fascinated by the importance of breathing during exercise.
He later came up with his own concept, the main pillar of which was having control over one’s own body.
During the First World War, Joseph ended up in a detention camp where he taught his fellow prisoners physical exercises and built apparatus for recumbent patients to help them keep their bodies strong and flexible. It is said that he and his fellow prisoners survived the 1918 influenza pandemic thanks to the good physical condition they gained by practising his exercises.
Once the war ended, he moved to New York, where he and his wife founded a movement studio and taught the method of contrology. This method is based on the use of the mind to control one’s muscles. He was sought mainly by ballet dancers who later became his students and current-day teachers (e.g. Lolita San Miguel – the last living direct successor).
During his lifetime, Joseph obtained about 26 patents for the machines he employed. The most famous ones are Reformer and Cadillac. This method is based on six basic principles, which have been supplemented by two more over time. These principles include breathing, activation of core muscles, constant concentration on the performed exercise and controlling the exercise using one’s mind, the precision of exercise execution and the flow of movement. Later on, two more principles were added – the principle of isolation, i.e. only a certain muscle should be targeted while other segments should remain stable, and the principle of routine, i.e. regular performance of exercises and the practice of the method.
The Pilates method, as the contrology is known in the present day, is being constantly improved and innovated based on the latest research in the field of movement medicine and physiotherapy. In our studio, we employ the Stott Pilates by Merrithew Canada method.