The history of the invention of the Pilates Reformer begins with the captivating story of a captive, Joseph Pilates, and other captives trying to maintain their health during WWI. For those who have heard about Pilates to those hooked by practicing it, the story of Joseph Pilates and the invention of the Reformer is as crazy as the Pilates craze!
Before the invention, an inventor needs to be born!
Joseph Hubertus Pilates was born in Mönchengladbach, Germany (near Düsseldorf) on December 9, 1883. His father was a gymnast and his mother a naturopath.
Pilates was a sickly child who turned to sport to become stronger and healthier and by the age of 14, he was posing for anatomical charts. He was active in all kinds of exercise from gymnastics like his father as well as bodybuilding, boxing, jiu jitsu, diving and skiing.
Perhaps his early illness is where his incredible drive began, the kind of drive that continued for his lifetime, changing eventually the ideas of exercise of that time into our own. “Controlology” as he would later call it was revolutionary, becoming a pillar of the mind body movement for decades to come. Pilates was convinced from his methods inception that his method was bound for greatness and was essential for improving people’s overall health.
When WWI broke out, Pilates, who was working on a circus tour in the UK at the time, became, along with other German nationals, “enemy aliens” and were placed in internment camps. Pilates was kept in the Knockaloe internment camp in the Isle of Man, found centrally within the British Isles.
Life in the camp was harsh as malnutrition flourished and conditions cramped. As no visitors were allowed, there was no connection to family and friends making the internment psychologically and emotionally extremely difficult. Add to this extreme boredom and deterioration was the most likely outcome for those imprisoned there.
From this plight, Pilates developed a workout that could keep himself in good shape and in good spirits while in captivity. Once again exercise for Pilates was born out of necessity as when he turned to fitness as a boy to transcend the perilousness of that time in his life. This “confined” workout became the blueprint of the Pilates mat work emphasizing core strength and alignment by strengthening and stretching every muscle in the body. He said later in an interview that his inspiration came from watching how stray cats in the compound stretched themselves! Check this article out for more. It’s quite the story!
During the four year period he was in Knockaloe, Pilates worked out with other inmates, introducing them to his exercises that kept them strong and healthy. Pilates later claimed that he and the other captives he worked out with were stronger at the end of their internment than they were at the start and claimed that an influenza epidemic at the time didn’t affect any of those he worked with!
During his internment, Pilates also worked as a nurse and had the idea of rehabilitating bedridden war veterans to exercise by attaching springs and pulleys to the hospital beds they were confined to. This ingenuity was also a strong trait of Joseph Pilates character, equal in measure to his drive to help people become healthier. For Pilates firmly believed that the body through Contrology would heal itself of all kinds of limitations and pain to become healthy again.
The Reformer as we know it today, was originally called by Pilates the “Universal Reformer” as it was designed with the intention of reforming the body wholly (i.e., “universally”).
After WWI ended, Pilates was freed and returned back to Germany.
Disappointed in the political environment of Germany in the 1920’s, Pilates decided to move to the United States. Before he traveled he patented the “Universal Reformer,” a diagram of it seen below (courtesy of Rhinebeck Pilates ®):
On the ship to going to America, Pilates met Clara Zuener whom he would later marry. In 1927, they opened the first “contrology” studio named the “Joseph H. Pilates Universal Gymnasium” in a building that was shared by the New York Ballet.
Pilates refined the design and functionality of the Reformer, originally designed along with other apparatuses that Pilates invented to support and challenge his clients to improve their matwork exercises.
The reputation of Pilates studio grew as the effectiveness of his method spread. His clients, many of whom were dancers and professional athletes, found his method improved their performance, prevented injury and was key towards rehabilitation. His reputation became almost mystical as he became widely known as a “healer” as he was known to have saved many dancers from career-ending injuries. The method of Contrology when written about was often referred to as “The Method."
Joseph Pilates died in October 9, 1967 at the age of 83 with his exercise system becoming commonly known as the Pilates Method post mortem. He was vocal until his demise that his method - The Method - was revolutionary and before its time. Today his work is flourishing and is moving millions of people worldwide towards health, just as he envisioned.
The medieval look of his equipment, including the “Universal Reformer” as he called it, has taken on a more contemporary look.
Written by Kevin Dosch
Kevin Dosch has his own history with the Pilates Reformer, teaching in Brussels for over 20 years has giving him valuable experience and expertise to train his clients from a beginner’s to an elite level.
Teaching and learning about the human body is Kevin’s passion and writing about it as well. He trains his clients individually on the Reformer, a great tool to challenge and elevate bodily awareness by conditioning the entire body in a potent blend of strength and flexibility. You’ll receive the close attention you deserve and require to grow and develop in your capabilities. This is done in a calm studio environment so that you can focus well on what the exercises have to offer.
To start or continue your history with the Pilates Reformer, check out his website: www.kevinspilatesandyoga.com.
