In any case, en route Joe met a young nurse named Clara. She became his wife and shortly thereafter, an integral partner in helping develop and teach his method. Instead of performing many repetitions of each exercise, Pilates preferred fewer, more precise movements, requiring control and form.

And there's a reason Pilates isn't your average workout: Joseph Pilates wasn't your average guy. Joseph was born in Germany in 1883. Growing up, he suffered from asthma, rickets, and rheumatic fever, and it's rumored he was bullied.

Joseph Pilates is someone we all know and admire for his creation of Contrology, better known today as the Pilates method. His lifelong partner, Clara, often overlooked and not as widely mentioned, was a key player in his teachings and business as a whole.

The “mind over matter” concept is the central element of the Pilates method. The goal is to fuse the mind and body so that without thinking, the body uses the greatest mechanical advantage to achieve optimal balance, strength, and health (Table 1).