Today there are thousands of certified Pilates instructors in private studios, health clubs, physical therapy offices, hospitals, YMCAs, universities, dance studios, and spaseverywhere that people gather to
gain better bodies. But when I began in the mid-sixties, there were only three Pilates studios in the world, all within a few blocks of one another in Manhattan. They were practically identical: the exercises, the equipment, the technique, and even the fees.
Despite its limited availability, Pilates had good press. There were major articles about Joseph Pilates in national magazines and New York newspapers. Joes opinions in such quotes such as Physical fitness is the first requisite for happiness, and There is no hope for world peace if the members of the United Nations cannot do my first five mat exercises, were controversial, which attracted me. I decided to try Pilates, even though working out wasnt even a term back then. During the subsequent decades, I sampled the poplar fitness trends: running, Jazzercise, Nautilus, and even killer aerobics classes. Although I knew nothing about functional anatomy or correct biomechanics (and neither did the instructors), I never felt that the popular go-for-the-burn exercise mantra made sense.