Pilates has exploded onto the fitness scene in the past 10 years as the method has come "en vogue" due to celebrity endorsement and Mari Winsor's infomercials. It should however, be noted the method was developed more than 80 years ago by Joseph H. Pilates (born 1880), a German native, and eventual immigrant to New York City. A boxer, gymnast, circus performer and self-defense expert, Pilates was a man before his time.

Due to his own physical short-comings & illnesses, at a young age he absorbed himself with self-study of human anatomy. He devoted his life to the development of more than 500 exercises and the invention of the apparatus on which they are executed. He dubbed his work, "Contrology". His body of work is genius. Few methods of exercise so completely engage the body as the whole and integrate the mind while being suitable for all ages and fitness levels due to is flexibility of modification. When practiced correctly with a well-trained instructor, Pilates is safe, effective and efficient - equal parts stretch, strength, and control.

All Pilates exercises require application of his seven principals; Breath, Concentration, Precision, Control, Centering, Rhythm & Flow. Pilates is not the mundane exercise so many of us dread. Above all else, Joseph H. Pilates hoped his method would "return to life" its practitioners. He writes in 1945 in Return to Life Through Contrology,"Physical fitness is the first requisite of happiness. Our interpretation of physical fitness is the attainment and maintenance of a uniformly developed body with a sound mind fully capable of naturally, easily, and satisfactorily performing our many and varied daily tasks."

It is my objective as an instructor to assist my clients in finding their level of optimal fitness and creating for them a self-sufficient at-home program.