contrology (12. 715)

Courtesy of Weird Universe, we are referred to one of twenty-six patents filed by physical trainer, professional boxer, circus performer and self-defence educator Joseph Hubertus Pilates—best known for his eponymous mind-body exercise method (see also), primarily developed during his internment by British authorities in Lancaster Castle (later on the Isle of Man) during World War I by dent of his German citizenship in England earning a living doing the latter jobs and training police in his ways at Scotland Yard—in the form of this rather intriguing v-shaped, cradle-like bed, which purports to support good spinal alignment during sleep. I don’t know whether such a configuration would alleviate cramping legs and constant tossing and turning and switching sides—which may have more to do with sharing sleeping quarters with a dog and another human—but seems plausible and maybe worth a try. While a pilates regimen as an activity is of course better than being sedentary and improves balance and muscle definition, studies show it does not live up to loftier claims of treating any illness or medical condition, however. Immigrating to New York City in 1925, Pilates set up a studio and taught classes with his wife Clara née Zeuner into the 1960s and invented the bed and several other exercise and wellness apparatuses during this period, and while the copyright for these devices holds, pilates itself is not professionally regulated and accredited, ruled a generic term and something anyone can claim—at least in the US—to be a master of. More at the link above.