The Pilates method was originally developed by Joseph Pilates in Germany during the First
World War and introduced in the United States in 1923 (Latey, 2001; Muscolino & Cipriani,
2004; Rydeard et al., 2006). The method assembles movements from gymnastics, martial arts,
yoga and dance with philosophic ideas (Self et al., 1996; Latey, 2001; Rydeard et al., 2006).
After the 1980’s, new elements were incorporated aiming to improve both physical
conditioning and rehabilitation programs. When considering physical conditioning
increases in joint flexibility, muscle strength, balance and whole body conditioning were
observed in Pilates’ practitioners (Bertolla F, 2007; Jago et al., 2006; Segal et al., 2004). For
rehabilitation, Pilates exercises have been used for joint function restoration, lumbar-pelvic
stabilization, fibromyalgia control and low back pain treatment (Blum, 2002; Kolyniak et al.,
2004; Donzelli et al., 2006).

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