What is Contrology?

Pilates

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“Contrology develops the body uniformly, corrects wrong postures, restores physical vitality, invigorates the mind, and elevates the spirit.”

Joseph Pilates
Joseph Pilates was born near Dusseldorf, Germany, in 1883. He was a sickly child, suffering from rickets (a condition in which bones do not develop properly), asthma, and rheumatic fever. His determination to overcome these childhood ailments led him to practice and excel at bodybuilding, gymnastics, diving, and other physical pursuits. He studied Eastern and Western forms of exercise and philosophies and was greatly influenced by ancient Grecian and Roman regimens.

In 1912, Joseph Pilates traveled to England. When World War I broke out, he, together with other German nationals, was interned in a camp on the Isle of Man. While there, he taught and practiced his physical fitness program, which was influenced by sources as varied as yoga and the movements of animals, particularly cats. In the camp, Pilates began devising apparatuses to aid in the rehabilitation of injured, disabled, and sick prisoners of war. It is possible that the iron bed frames, and coiled mattress springs were the inspiration for the famed Pilates Reformer. 

After the war, Joseph Pilates returned to Germany, where he continued to study fitness and movement. Eventually, he was invited by the German government to train the new German Army. Recognizing the implications, he decided instead to emigrate to America.  On the ship sailing to the United States, Joseph met a woman named Clara, who soon became his wife. He refined his teaching and started to develop his concept of an integrated, comprehensive system of exercises that he would later call “Contrology.” 

The Contrology system of exercises was heavily inspired by Ancient Greek culture, which highlights the mind through its philosophy authors and the body through the psychical culture seen not only in the creation of the Olympic Games but the famous Greek sculptures of uniformly developed bodies. However, Joseph Pilates realized that in our modern times, there was a huge disconnect between our minds and bodies. 

In his book “Return to Life through Contrology” originally published in 1945, he explains that Contrology is “the complete coordination of body, mind, and spirit.” where the mind and physical health are complementary to each other and work in harmony. He states that “Contrology develops the body uniformly, corrects wrong postures, restores physical vitality, invigorates the mind, and elevates the spirit”. The control your body would acquire by practicing Contrology at least 4 times a week would help you not only with your everyday activities but also improve your performance in sports or any leisure activities.

How does it work?

Contrology is “movement of all kinds.” It is a workout with over 500 exercises, not counting variations, modifications, and exercises done with or without equipment. It is more than exercises performed on a floor mat, which is only 10-12% of the work. Contrology works the entire body equally, including your mind. Working this way creates the awareness needed in our everyday patterns and restores the body’s natural balance and alignment. Simply put, an average adult spends most of the day sitting or operating machinery repetitively. This repetitive motion creates an imbalance in the body, causing some muscles to overwork and others to overstretch.

With Contrology, the entire body is addressed equally to improve these imbalances. Beyond a specific order of exercises on the mat and the reformer, it offers a varied range of movements from quite easy to extremely difficult/advanced. Special equipment in the studio is designed to strengthen the feet, lungs, neck, and overall posture. This work is without limits and allows for creativity to deliver a unique challenge to each individual.

Is Contrology for you?

It is for everyone! Young or old, in shape or out of shape, dancers, athletes, and those with sedentary lifestyles. The work is specifically tailored to each individual and can be modified and or regressed for any injury or condition.

Benefits

  • Better posture, balance
  • Injury prevention
  • Better circulation, increased lung capacity
  • Increased flexibility (joint mobility), bone density
  • Improved body image (awareness), self-esteem
  • Increased stamina, better focus
  • Proper alignment development
The list goes on, and these improvements can have a greater impact on other areas of your life and it would still leave us energized to enjoy life as a whole and ultimately return to life.
The practice of Contrology or Pilates as we know it now, would prepare our minds and bodies to perform daily activities with ease and it would still leave us energized to enjoy life as a whole and ultimately return to life.

So keep moving!