Pilates is a type of mind-body exercise developed in the early 20th century by German physical trainer Joseph Pilates, after who it was named. 

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Joseph Pilates was a sickly child.  He suffered from asthma, rickets, and rheumatic fever, and he dedicated his entire life to improving his physical strength.  Which lead him to careers as a gymnast, bodybuilder, professional boxer, a circus-performer, and a self-defense trainer at police schools and Scotland Yard.  It is said that Pilates started refining and teaching his minimal-equipment systems of mat exercises when he was a inmate in internment camps during World War I.  He taught fellow inmates his 500 exercises focused on developing "core" muscles of the abdomen and increasing flexibility in the arms, legs and supporting muscles groups.  His efforts helped maintain their health through the deadly influenza epidemic of 1918.  Authorities noticed and sent Pilates to the Isle of Man to care for patients immobilized by war injuries.  Many couldn't stand or even sit up to do the exercises.  Pilates removed bedsprings from the beds and attached them to the walls at or above bed level.  Using straps on their arms or legs, patients could lie in bed and push or pull the springs, exercising against the coils resistance.  Doctors noticed these exercises improved patient recovery considerably.  Pilates began fitting all the hospital beds to help rehabilitate as many wounded soldiers as he could.  He called his new regimen "Contrology".

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Pilates came to believe that the "modern" life-style, bad posture, and inefficient breathing lay at the roots of poor health.  

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After Joseph Pilates immigrated to the US around he and his future wife founded a studio in New York City and taught his "Contrology".  "Contrology", related to encouraging the use of the mind to control muscles, focusing attention on core postural muscles that help keep the body balanced and provide support for the spine.  In particular, Pilates exercises teach awareness of breath and of alignment of the spine, and strengthen the deep torso and abdominal muscles. 

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Since their studio shared an address with the New York City Ballet the majority of their clients were dancers and it was mostly used as a method of injury recovery for them.  As fine-tuned as dancers are, when they are at their peak, they are dancing at least six days a week, several hours a day.  It is grueling and there's that repetitive motion on the same muscle groups, again and again.  As human beings, we are creatures of habit.  We walk a certain way, we take the steps a certain way, we stand a certain way and we sit at our desks a certain way.  So our muscles get imbalanced because of overuse and what Pilates does is help to counteract that and restore balance in the body.  By restoring balance, it automatically restores alignment in the body as well.