Pilates is a lifestyle to be practiced seven days a week. Joseph Pilates developed his program in order to make a healthy and balanced life possible. More than just an exercise plan, Pilates combines various disciplines to re-establish harmony and balance on a physical, mental and spiritual level. Ancient Greeks knew this better than anyone: the real meaning of mind/body balance. Tangibly expressed in terms of a complete physical health, it means mental happiness combined with the goals that a person acquires during his or her journey through life. They also believed that the soul was completely bound to the physical and mental
manifestations of the human body. They understood that the closer a human being was to physical perfection; the mind would be that much closer to mental perfection. (Joseph Pilates, ‘Return to life through the practice of Contrology). Pilates borrowed from Eastern disciplines and combined these things with Western fitness programs, putting particular emphasis on strengthening balance and flexibility, in order to achieve a more efficient type of movement for living one’s everyday life as well as for playing sports.