Pilates in one of the hottest fitness trends to hit the stage in the past decade. The idea behind Pilates is to strengthen the body without bulking the body up. Pilates leaves its dedicated users with sleek, lean bodies.
While Pilates being popular is relatively new, Pilates has actually been around for over 80 years. The Pilates method was the brainchild of Joseph H. Pilates. Joseph Pilates grew up a very sickly child. His constant illness eventually pushed him towards an obsession with being healthy and strong. Joseph Pilates studied many different exercise styles ranging from several different Asian Arts to more European and American sports. Using all the knowledge he had gained from his study of these different exercise styles, he developed a specific set of movements that were designed to strengthen both mind and body together.
Unfortunately for Joseph Pilates, despite that fact that more than few people raved about the results of the Pilates exercise method, Pilates did not become popular until well after his death in 1967.
In the 1990’s, Guthy-Renker, a well-known infomercial company, started to market a product called Winsor Pilates. Winsor Pilates took the basics of the Pilates method and put it into an easy to understand video and booklet. The product was wildly popular.
As a result, dozens of similar products flooded the market and Pilates studios opened across the nation. Many of the Pilates products and studios, including the Winsor Pilates, do not use the pure version of Joseph Pilates’ exercise regime. Most of them actually use a modified and simplified version of the original Pilates.
Just because these products and studios use a modified version of Joseph Pilates’, does not mean that they are inferior. The original Pilates exercise program can be complicated and difficult for some users. The newer versions of Pilates have made it easier to take advantage of Joseph Pilates’ teachings on health and fitness.
This is not to say that there are not studios that still teach the original Pilates. There are several. So if you are looking for a studio that teaches the original Pilates, make sure that you ask if the Pilates exercise program taught there is the original or a modified version.
Pilates has become the exercise program of choice for more than a few Hollywood stars. If you are looking for an exercise program that will strengthen both you body and mind, without bulking your body up, you may want to read more about the Pilates exercise method.