Informative speech on Pilates
How many of you familiar with Pilates?? Well, if you have not heard of Pilates, it can be used to replace your usual workouts as well as help with medical conditions. Like any work out, some like it and some don 't; it all depends on what you are looking for and how you want to achieve it. But for those who are not really familiar with the method, I will inform you on what Pilates is, how it came about and why some people use it. Pilates is a workout that can, like yoga, be done anywhere, anytime, for as long as one wishes.
Pilates was invented almost a hundred years ago by a man named Joseph Pilates. Pilates was born in 1880 in Germany as a sickly child who suffered from asthma, rickets (which was a childhood disorder involving softening and weakening of the bones), and rheumatic fever (which was an inflammatory disease that affected many of the body 's connecting tissues, like the joints, brain, and skin). Even though he suffered with these a great deal, he was determined to overcome his health problems and began to study anatomy and both Eastern and Western forms of exercise (including yoga, Zen and ancient Greek and Roman routines). By the age of 14, he has overcome his bad health and became a successful boxer, gymnast, skier, and diver. In 1912, Pilates left Germany and because a performer with a traveling circus, but when WW1 broke out, he was placed in an internment camp and had to work as a nurse. This is when he created his workout. He began inventing equipment to rehabilitate the wounded, like taking bed springs and attaching them to the ceiling so even the men who were unable to move from their bed could still stay strong. Even though, it does not seem to be much, it made a huge impact. Many of the wounded that Pilates took care of totally recuperated and became stronger and healthier than before they had gone to war. Also, an influenza epidemic broke out in England in 1918, killing thousands of people, but not a single one of Joe 's patients died.
Pilates was invented almost a hundred years ago by a man named Joseph Pilates. Pilates was born in 1880 in Germany as a sickly child who suffered from asthma, rickets (which was a childhood disorder involving softening and weakening of the bones), and rheumatic fever (which was an inflammatory disease that affected many of the body 's connecting tissues, like the joints, brain, and skin). Even though he suffered with these a great deal, he was determined to overcome his health problems and began to study anatomy and both Eastern and Western forms of exercise (including yoga, Zen and ancient Greek and Roman routines). By the age of 14, he has overcome his bad health and became a successful boxer, gymnast, skier, and diver. In 1912, Pilates left Germany and because a performer with a traveling circus, but when WW1 broke out, he was placed in an internment camp and had to work as a nurse. This is when he created his workout. He began inventing equipment to rehabilitate the wounded, like taking bed springs and attaching them to the ceiling so even the men who were unable to move from their bed could still stay strong. Even though, it does not seem to be much, it made a huge impact. Many of the wounded that Pilates took care of totally recuperated and became stronger and healthier than before they had gone to war. Also, an influenza epidemic broke out in England in 1918, killing thousands of people, but not a single one of Joe 's patients died.
Bibliography: * Balanced Body, Inc. (2001). History of Pilates: http://www.bodyzone.com/custom/pilateshistory.html. * Hedding, Judy, Pilates: Pilates Integrated Body and Mind. Licensed to About.com: http://phoenix.about.com/library/weekly/uc120202a.htm?terms=pilates * Winsor, Mari (1999) The Pilates Powerhouse. Perseus Books: HarperCollins Publishing