Pilates was developed over 80 years ago by Joseph Pilates in Germany. Small and sickly as a child, he became self-educated in anatomy, bodybuilding, wrestling, yoga, gymnastics, and martial arts. During World War I he designed exercise apparatus for immobilized patients by attaching springs to hospital beds. This system formed the foundation for his style of body conditioning and specialized exercise apparatus, which he brought to New York City when he opened the first studio in 1926. He died in 1967, at aged 87. His wife Clara, continued to teach and run the studio until her death 10 years later.

Pilates is a body conditioning routine that seeks to build flexibility, strength, endurance, and coordination without adding muscle bulk. In addition, pilates increases circulation and helps to sculpt the body and strengthen the body's "core" or "powerhouse" (torso). People who do pilates regularly feel they have better posture, are less prone to injury, and experience better overall health.

Joseph Pilates believed that our physical and mental health are intertwined. He designed his exercise program around principles that support this philosophy, including concentration, precision, control, breathing, and flowing movements.

You’ll find yourself to be more aware of your body and engaging your mind in the activity can prove to be an efficient method of stress relief. Whereas normal exercise may make one feel exhausted and drained, pilates incorporates the use of non-high-intensity routines so that one may feel even more energetic after performing the exercises.

With the help of an instructor, clients perform strength, flexibility and range of motion exercises on specially designed equipment. There are two ways to exercise in pilates. Today, most people focus on the mat exercises, which require only a floor mat and training. These exercises are designed so that your body uses its own weight as resistance. The other method of pilates uses a variety of machines to tone and strengthen the body, again using the principle of resistance.

Professional dancers have known the benefits of Pilates for decades. Top athletes use it for strength, flexibility, and injury prevention. Hollywood celebrities and supermodels use it to maintain beautiful physiques.

• Stay focused. Pilates is designed to combine your breathing rhythm with your body movements. Our instructors will teach you ways to keep your breathing working in conjunction with the exercises. You will also be taught to concentrate on your muscles and what you are doing. The goal of pilates is to unite your mind and body, which relieves stress and anxiety.
  
• Be comfortable. Wear comfortable clothes (shorts or tights and a T-shirt or tank top are good choices), and keep in mind that pilates is usually done without shoes.
  
• Let it flow. When you perform your exercises, avoid quick, jerky movements. Every movement should be slow, but still strong and flexible. Joseph Pilates worked with dancers and designed his movements to flow like a dance.
  
• Don't leave out the heart. The nice thing about pilates is you don't have to break a sweat if you don't want to - but you can also work the exercises quickly (bearing in mind fluidity, of course!) to get your heart rate going.

Most fans of pilates say they stick with the program because it's diverse and interesting. Joseph Pilates designed his program for variety - people do fewer repetitions of a number of exercises rather than lots of repetitions of only a few.

Before you begin any type of exercise program, it's a good idea to talk to your doctor, especially if you have a health problem.