Photo: Brian Stemmler
The Cadillac, reformer, trapeze table, tower … Pilates equipment may seem complex, but this movement philosophy has encouraged good health for 100 years. Joseph Pilates created his exercise program, originally called Contrology, to help wounded soldiers after World War I regain mobility and strength. His complete attention to the body, including breath and balance, was adopted by midcentury leaders of American dance, such as George Balanchine and Martha Graham
In Edina, that legacy continues. Former professional dancer Cari Stemmler opened Paragon Pilates in 2009. “Our bodies respond to what we do to them,” she says, underscoring how Pilates’ principles still apply even as modern lifestyles evolve.
At Club Pilates Edina, owner Molly Buckley frames it in personal terms. “I ask our members, ‘What’s your why?’ For some, it’s flexibility; for others, it’s strength, recovery or stress relief,” she says.
A century after Joseph Pilates theories of deep stretching and the unity of breath, mind and movement are as relevant for our bodies today as when he experimented with springs and straps to help soldiers heal a century ago.
Laura Westlund is a writer and editor in the Twin Cities.
