Pilates was developed in the early 1900’s by a man named Joseph Pilates.  It was not until his death that it was named after Joseph Pilates himself.  Prior to Pilates death he referred to his exercise method as
'Control logy’ – depicting slow, controlled moves.

Pilates was a nurse in one of the camps in World War 1 and was widely credited for training other interns in his method of fitness, proving to protect them when the influenza epidemic broke out.

In the 1920’s he went to New York where he set up studios attracting many dancers. Not surprisingly today Pilates still remains popular amongst dancers nationwide.  Dancers tend to have extreme flexibility but without core stability their bodies in general are susceptible to injury. Muscular balance is the key to injury prevention- the reason many chiropractors and Physiotherapists widely recommend yoga and Pilates.

The evidence is clear – both yoga and Pilates will help to prevent injury and alleviate chronic pain and this is also what a lot of health insurance companies are focusing on nowadays and why they offer rebates on courses run by accredited teachers.