Wilnis Pilates

What is Pilates?

Pilates was developed in the early 1920's by Joseph Pilates who was born in Dusseldorf in 1880. As a child he was very frail; anxieties over him contracting tuberculosis prompted him to start body building. By the age of 14 he was posing for anatomy charts and studying them enthusiastically. He was also a keen sportsman - diving, skiing, gymnastics, boxing and wrestling were amongst his interests.

Interned in the war years because of his nationality, he developed a fitness programme for his fellow internees in order to maintain their health and fitness levels whilst being held in confinement - he always claimed that his regime was the reason why not one of these internees died from the influenza epidemic that killed thousands in 1918.