Joseph Pilates - A Pilates Primer: The Combo Millennium Edition

Includes
The Complete Works of Joseph Pilates

Pilates Return to Life
Through Contrology

Originally Published in 1945
by Joseph H. Pilates and William John Miller

Your Health

Originally Published in 1934 by Joseph H. Pilates

Both books republished, updated, edited, and
copyrighted in 1998 by Presentation Dynamics

Edited, Reformatted and Reprinted
in a New Easy-to-Read Millennium Edition
by Presentation Dynamics
949-666-5030
ISBN10: 1-928564-00-3
ISBN13: 978-1-928564-00-3

Photographs of Joseph H. Pilates at sixty

Updated with a New Introduction by
Judd Robbins and Lin Van Heuit-Robbins
Copyright 1998 - 2010 Presentation Dynamics

The authors appreciate this opportunity to express thanks to all loyal friends and students for their sustained encouragement which cheered them onward in the preparation of this book. Special gratitude is acknowledged to Beatrice E. Rogers for most valuable assistance rendered, and to George Hoyningen-Huene for his unusual patience and exceptional professional skill in the production of the fine photography illustrating the technical text throughout RETURN TO LIFE.

DEDICATION

to Clara

MORTAL perfection is achievable only through bodily perfections and therefore the development of physique to high levels of strength and beauty, under control of the mind. This is the first requisite of human achievement Also the maintenance of a superior standard of physical fitness is increasingly necessary to the maintenance of life and liberty in any complex civilization. It is supremely so in times of social strife. Therefore, the discovery and use of the most efficient programs of physical improvement are now vital to the very preservation of the race.

In my judgment, Contrology is an ideal system to transform the body into a perfect instrument of the will. It is kinesiologically proper, physiologically sound, psychologically correct. I have personal knowledge of its success in effecting astonishing results, not only for normal adults but also for those suffering from supposedly incurable physical defects and organic deficiencies.

For twenty years 1 have studied professionally the leading systems of body development proposed and used in schools, colleges, private gymnasia, and other institutions, and have no hesitation in saying that the Pilates system is not merely 20 or 50 or 80 per cent more efficient, but must be several times as effective as any practicable combination of other systems.

To appreciate the truth of this statement the reader must himself have experimented with other systems, and then must have actually used Contrology. For it develops not only the muscles of the body, suppleness of the limbs, and functioning of vital organs and endocrine glands; it also clarifies the mind and develops the will.

So it is with great pleasure that I endorse Joseph H. Pilates' work, and hope it will spread throughout our country, bringing increased physical fitness to all.

Frederick Rand Rogers
President
North American Physical Fitness Institute

by Judd Robbins and Lin Van-Heuit Robbins
Certified Trainers in The Matwork Developed by Joseph and Clara Pilates

This new printing of Joseph Pilates original 1934 and 1945 works retains the original photographs and step-by-step poses and accompanying instructions. While some of the latest research in the fitness world might suggest caution when performing some of these poses and exercises, the overall program of exercises developed at the turn of the 20th Century remains astoundingly effective and beneficial for fitness enthusiasts in the 21st Century.

As with all exercise programs, you should consult your doctor before commencing to follow any or all of the exercises and poses presented in this book. The overall impact of Joseph Pilates exercises can be extraordinarily beneficial to anyone suffering from a variety of physical weaknesses. However, the exercises are most effective when presented to beginners by a trainer who has studied the matwork instructions as well as the fundamental physiological and biomechanical aspects of the body so analytically coordinated into the exercises by Joseph Pilates.

Joseph Pilates preached the benefits of a perfect balance of body and mind. He coupled his own gymnastics and martial arts background with a keen analytical approach to body mechanics, posture, and correct breathing. When we began to experience his recommendations for exercises, postural modifications, and breathing mechanisms, we truly began to feel like converts. Both of us are certified by the PhysicalMind Institute in the matwork that was originally developed by Joseph and Clara Pilates. Weve read and used the principles offered in many fitness books, from yoga to stretching to strength training. Joseph Pilates created a truly effective combination of strengthening and stretching that can work well for virtually every body. With the right instruction and guidance, some or all of Pilates recommendations can demonstrably improve anybodys health and fitness levels.

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 with spontaneous zest and pleasure. To achieve the highest accomplishments within the scope of our capabilities in all walks of life we must constantly strive to acquire strong, healthy bodies and develop our minds to the limit of our ability. This very rapidly progressing world with its ever-increasing faster tempo of living demands that we be physically fit and alert in order that we may succeed in the unceasing race with keen competition which rewards the "go-getter" but by-passes the "no-getter."

Physical fitness can neither be acquired by wishful thinking nor by outright purchase. However, it can be gained through performing the daily exercises conceived for this purpose by the founder of Contrology whose unique methods accomplish this desirable result by successfully counteracting the harmful inherent conditions associated with modern civilization.

In the Stone Age and onward man lived mostly outdoors with practically little shelter from the elements. He has not yet lived long enough indoors with protection against the elements to be able to successfully withstand the daily strains and stresses imposed upon him by our present mode of "fast" living. This explains why both you and I and all the rest of us are compelled in our own interest to give constant thought to the improvement of our bodies and to spend more time in acquiring and maintaining that all-important goal of physical fitness.

All in all, we do not give our bodies the care that our well-being deserves. True, we do stroll in the fresh air whenever our whimsical spirit moves us, or whenever necessity compels us to do so, with the result that on these occasions we do, in spite of ourselves, exercise our legs to this limited extent, accomplished, however, at the sacrifice of the rest of our body which after all is much more important to us from the viewpoint of our general health. Is it any wonder then that this haphazard and wholly inadequate body-building technique of the average person fails so miserably in the acquirement of physical fitness!