“Breathing is the first act of life, and the last.
Our very life depends on it.
Since we cannot live without breathing…
above all, learn to breathe correctly.”*
~ Joseph Pilates
With all the changes in the world this past month, continuing the muscle groups theme did not seem appropriate at this time. Instead, sharing Mr. Pilates thoughts on breathing seems more beneficial during this historic season. The poignant quote above is from his book “Return to Life”.
To provide a little more context, this book was first published in 1945. Right after World War II, Mr. Pilates urges, “above all, learn to breathe correctly.” This likely wasn’t a feel good sentiment but a practical one. As a fitness expert who trained boxers and who is purported to have been invited to train the German army in the 1920s (before he immigrated to the U.S.) and trained police in Scotland yard, Mr. Pilates first recommendation to become physically hardy after wartime is – “learn to breathe correctly”!
Mr. Pilates survived both World Wars. As a German living in England, he was interned at the Isle of Man during the first World War. This would also mean Mr. Pilates would have been in Europe when the Spanish flu broke out in 1918. It is legend that the prisoners Mr. Pilates trained did not succumb to many of the diseases common in the camps at the time.
Though not much is confirmed in scholarly historical research on Mr. Pilates boyhood days, it has often been told that he was sickly as a child, even struggling with asthma. These early struggles and his subsequent studies are thought to have shaped both Mr. Pilates and his work.
Mr. Pilates emphasis on the importance of breathing rings true as the world is currently on pause due to a pandemic that is respiratory in nature. As many are starting to be mindful of nutrition as a way to boost immunity, it only makes sense to practice breathing exercises as a way to help the respiratory system into peak condition. For Mr. Pilates, the foundational element, even “core” piece to being physical fit starts with breathing.
Breathing can not only help calm the mind and emotions during stressful times but can also improve lung function. With stay-at-home order deadlines extending, it is important now more than ever to stay active. Enjoy a walk outdoors (while social distancing from others) and practice Pilates to stay strong on both the inside and the outside.
*Pilates, Joseph H. and William John Miller. Return to Life Through Contrology. Pilates’ Primer: The Millennium Edition. Presentation Dynamics, republished 1998, p 12 &13.