Pilates was created by Joseph Hubertus Pilates (1883 to 1967), a German-born physical trainer who called his method Contrology. He developed many of his ideas in the early twentieth century, including during World War I, when he was interned in Britain and experimented with exercises and spring-based equipment. In the 1920s he emigrated to the United States and, with his wife and teaching partner Clara, opened a studio in New York City. Dancers, choreographers and athletes helped make the method famous. After his death, his students, often called the Pilates elders, spread and adapted the method, and today Pilates is practiced worldwide in both classical and contemporary styles, on mats and on apparatus such as the reformer.
Health note: This article is general information about the history of Pilates, not medical advice. Check with a doctor or physical therapist before starting Pilates if you have health conditions, are pregnant or are recovering from injury.
Timeline of Pilates history
| Period | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1883 | Joseph Pilates born in Mönchengladbach, Germany |
| Early 1900s | Studies and practices a wide range of physical disciplines |
| World War I | Interned in Britain as a German national; develops exercises for fellow internees and experiments with springs |
| 1920s | Emigrates to New York and opens a studio with Clara |
| 1934 | Publishes Your Health |
| 1945 | Publishes Return to Life Through Contrology |
| Mid-20th century | Dancers and choreographers adopt the method |
| 1967 | Joseph Pilates dies; Clara continues teaching |
| Late 20th century | Students open studios and spread the method |
| 2000 | A US court ruling allows the name Pilates to be used generically |
| Today | Practiced worldwide in classical and contemporary styles |
Joseph Pilates’ early life
Joseph Pilates was born in 1883 in Mönchengladbach, Germany. Accounts of his childhood often describe him as sickly, with conditions such as asthma, and say he became determined to build his strength. Over the following years, he studied and practiced a wide variety of physical disciplines, which by most accounts included gymnastics, bodybuilding, boxing, and ideas drawn from Eastern and Western approaches to exercise and health. Many details of his early life come from Pilates himself or from his students, so some stories are difficult to verify. What is clear is that he developed a strong belief in the connection between physical fitness, mental focus and overall wellbeing.
World War I and the first apparatus
Pilates was living in England when World War I began, and as a German national he was interned. He spent time in internment camps, including on the Isle of Man. According to accounts passed down by his students, he led fellow internees in exercise routines and worked with people who were bedridden or injured, attaching springs to beds so they could exercise against resistance. These experiments are widely seen as the forerunner of the Cadillac and other Pilates apparatus. After the war, he returned to Germany for a time, where he continued to train and teach.
New York and the studio years
In the 1920s, Pilates emigrated to the United States. He is said to have met Clara, a nurse, on the voyage, and she became his wife and teaching partner. Together they opened a studio in New York City, in a building that also housed dance studios. This location proved important. Dancers, often dealing with injuries and demanding training schedules, found that his method helped them build strength, control and flexibility. Choreographers and dance figures such as George Balanchine and Martha Graham are widely reported to have sent students or dancers to the studio. Pilates also continued to design equipment, including the reformer, the Wunda chair and barrels.
Contrology and its principles
Joseph Pilates called his method Contrology, emphasizing the mind’s control of the body. In his writings, particularly Return to Life Through Contrology, published in 1945, he promoted whole-body fitness, correct breathing, good posture and daily practice. The now-familiar list of Pilates principles, often given as breath, concentration, centering, control, precision and flow, was articulated by later teachers based on his work rather than set out as a formal list by Pilates himself. Many of his original mat exercises, such as the hundred, the roll up and the teaser, remain at the heart of classical Pilates today.
The Pilates elders
After Joseph Pilates died in 1967, Clara continued teaching for years. His students went on to teach and open studios of their own, and they are often called the Pilates elders. Commonly named elders include Romana Kryzanowska, Kathy Grant, Lolita San Miguel, Ron Fletcher, Carola Trier, Eve Gentry, Mary Bowen and Bob Seed, among others. Each brought their own emphasis. Some stayed close to the original repertoire, while others adapted it, adding new exercises or connecting it with dance, rehabilitation or other movement practices. This diversity helps explain why Pilates today includes both classical and contemporary approaches.
From niche method to global practice
For decades, Pilates remained relatively niche, known mainly in dance circles and among a small group of devoted students. From the late twentieth century, it grew rapidly, spreading to gyms, rehabilitation clinics and dedicated studios around the world. A 2000 US court decision found that the word Pilates had become a generic term for the exercise method, allowing it to be used broadly rather than as a protected trademark. Since then, many training organizations, styles and equipment makers have emerged, and Pilates is now widely offered in mat, reformer and clinical formats.
Classical versus contemporary Pilates today
Classical Pilates aims to preserve Joseph Pilates’ original exercises, order and teaching style as closely as possible. Contemporary Pilates keeps the core principles but adapts exercises using modern exercise science and rehabilitation research, often adding modifications, props and variations. Both approaches have loyal followers, and both can be effective. Many studios blend elements of each.
How to explore Pilates history in your practice
- Try a classical class to experience the original mat order and teaching style.
- Try a contemporary class to compare how exercises are adapted.
- Read Return to Life Through Contrology to see Pilates’ own writing and exercises.
- Ask your instructor about their lineage, since many training programs trace back to specific elders.
- Learn the classical exercise names, which connect today’s classes to the original method.
Common misconceptions
- Pilates is new: the method dates back more than a century.
- Pilates was designed only for dancers: it was intended for general fitness and health, though dancers helped popularize it.
- Pilates is the same as yoga: they share some ideas but have different origins and methods.
- All Pilates is the same: classical and contemporary schools differ considerably.
- Every story about Joseph Pilates is documented fact: some biographical details come from oral history.
Frequently asked questions
Who invented Pilates?
Joseph Pilates, a German-born physical trainer, developed the method in the early twentieth century.
What did Joseph Pilates call his method?
He called it Contrology, emphasizing the mind’s control over the body.
Why did dancers adopt Pilates?
Dancers found it helped build strength, control and flexibility and supported recovery from injury, and the New York studio was close to the dance community.
