09/06/2026
100 years ago, Joseph Pilates opened his first studio in New York and changed the way people move forever.
A century later, Pilates is still helping people build strength, improve posture, prevent injury, reduce stress and move with confidence through every stage of life.
What started as “Contrology” has become a global movement, and we’re proud to be part of that story here at Dream Body Pilates.
Joseph Pilates was born in Germany in 1883. As a child, he suffered from asthma, rickets and rheumatic fever, which inspired a lifelong interest in health, movement and physical conditioning.
During World War I, he was interned in a camp in England. While working with injured and bedridden patients, he began experimenting with attaching springs to hospital beds so patients could exercise and rebuild strength without standing. These spring-based resistance systems became the foundation of what would later evolve into the Pilates Reformer.
After the war, Pilates returned to Germany before emigrating to New York in 1926 with his wife Clara. Together they opened a studio where they taught their method, which he called “Contrology” – the art of controlling the body through mindful movement. The studio became particularly popular with dancers, who used the exercises to improve performance and recover from injuries.
Over time, the spring-based equipment Pilates developed was refined into the Reformer we know today: a moving carriage, springs, straps and pulleys designed to provide resistance, support and challenge through a full range of motion.
100 years later, Pilates has grown from a rehabilitation tool into one of the world’s most popular forms of exercise, helping millions of people improve strength, flexibility, posture and overall wellbeing.
So next time someone says Pilates is just a fad, remind them that this life changing form of exercise is here to stay! ❤️
