Devotion to motion: Sonoma Pilates trainer embraces traditions in an evolving industry

IN 1914, JOSEPH HUBERTUS PILATES found himself with other young men and German citizens interned for the duration of World War I on the Isle of Man, located off the west coast of England. There, the former gymnast, body builder, and boxer developed a program of body conditioning exercises and equipment that eventually had worldwide impact on the physical health industry.

More than 100 years later, the name Pilates has come to mean a plethora of training programs, exercises, and the equipment that today includes the Universal Reformer, Cadillac, Wunda Chair, Guillotine, Mat and more. Consequently and unfortunately, the “diasporic” offshoots of Pilates training today are so vast and varied, the name Pilates has nearly lost definition. Dangers such as risk of injury and the proliferation of substandard, copycat equipment, both associated with a downgrade in professional standards and an unregulated market, are pervasive, according to experts and long-time instructors and practitioners like Sonoma-based Madeline Black.