Born in 1880, Joseph Pilates (puh-LAH-teez) was a frail and sickly child. Determined to overcome his physical difficulties, he developed a lifelong interest in body conditioning.

He applied his various techniques to other interns while a prisoner of war in England in WWI by using springs attached to hospital beds. He continued to design new apparatus for specific movements and exercises for every need.

Joseph and his wife Clara opened their first studio in New York in 1926. Joe was passionate about understanding movement and anatomy. For over forty years he worked at perfecting his method designed to stretch and strengthen the body without building bulk.

Attention is given to quality, not quantity. A limited number of repetitions are used in a dynamic sequence of movements that follow the six principles of Pilates: Concentration, Control, Centering, Precision, Flow and Breathing. It is through these principles that we achieve strong, flexible muscles, coordination and balance.