Born near Dusseldorf, Germany in 1880, Joseph Pilates suffered from asthma, rickets and rheumatic fever as a child. His determination and drive to overcome those ailments led to the study of both Eastern and Western forms of exercise: including yoga, zen, ancient Grecian and Roman regimens. He took them one step further by combining skills with his knowledge of exercise and anatomy, to design apparatus geared specifically to his philosophy.

Joseph Pilates - the name is of Greek origin - brought his revolutionary method of physical and mental conditioning to the United States in the early twenties. His studio in New York City caught the attention of the dance community - and Pilates technique became an integral part of dance training. Such legends of dance as Ruth St. Denis, Ted Shawn, Martha Graham, George Balanchine, Hanya Holm and Jerome Robbins, have all practiced Pilates and taught it to their students.

Pilates felt that his work was probably about fifty years ahead of its time, and although his name is not yet a household word, people from all walks of life are discovering and choosing the Pilates technique as their fitness program. Hospitals and physical therapy centres worldwide are using Pilates to rehabilitate injured athletes and dancers. Many athletes - even football players - now incorporate Pilates into their training. Pilates-based fitness studios are teaching the technique to an increasing number of ordinary people who are tired of the "pumping iron" atmosphere of conventional gyms and aerobic dancing studios.

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