SHIRLEY JOHNSON
PILATES WELL BEING
WHAT IS PILATES?
PILATES IS A METHOD OF BODY CONDITIONING USING A UNIQUE SYSTEM OF STRETCHING AND STRENGTHENING EXERCISES DEVELOPED OVER NINETY YEARS AGO BY JOSEPH H. PILATES. IT STRENGTHENS AND TONES MUSCLE, IMPROVES POSTURE, PROVIDES FLEXIBILITY AND BALANCE, UNITES BODY AND MIND, AND CREATES A MORE STREAMLINE SHAPE. THE PILATES PHILOSOPHY FOCUSES ON TRAINING THE MIND AND BODY TO WORK TOGETHER TOWARDS THE GOAL OF OVERALL FITNESS. THE PILATES METHOD CAN AND DOES CHANGE THE WAY YOU RELATE TO YOUR OWN BODY AND THE WAY YOU CARRY IT IN THE WORLD. JOSEPH H. PILATES BEGAN DEVELOPING HIS EXERCISE SYSTEM IN GERMANY IN THE EARLY 1900's. HE WAS PLAGUED BY ASTHMA AND RICKETS AS A CHILD, PILATES METHOD SPRANG FROM HIS DETERMINATION TO STRENGTHEN HIS FRAIL AND SICKLY BODY. HIS METHOD WAS CALLED 'THE ART OF CONTROLOGY.' IF YOU THINK PILATES LOOKS AND SOUNDS DAUNTING, DON'T WORRY. YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A BALLET DANCER TO DO IT, AND PILATES CAN BE DONE BY ANYONE OF ANY AGE.
SHIRLEY JOHNSON
