Could Pilates’ V-Bed Enter the Market?

By Scott Kane

Anyone who has read ‘Your Health’ or has seen the archival footage DVD from Power Pilates would have encountered one of Joseph Pilates lesser known inventions, the V-shaped bed. For those who are unaware, the V-shaped bed was basically a bed that was structured in a folded V shape as opposed to a flat mattress. Joe wrote in his book a modern flat bed caused a person to change positions 45/48 times in a single night. Using his creation he claimed you won’t change half a dozen times. His theory was that excessive changes of position were not beneficial for rest and relaxation and that the V-bed helped to reduce the amount of times you move at night, thus promoting better health in mind and body.

Like his other inventions the V-bed did not take off in Joe’s lifetime although unlike the Reformer, Cadillac, and the Wunda chair it is not recognized today by the Pilates community. What could be the reason for this? A likely possibility for most people is the fact that the V-bed is quite unsuitable for couples. This is because it was designed to accommodate only one person. This poses the question “why would a couple want to sleep apart?” This would seem to be a critical flaw in the V-bed design. But was it?

According to sleep specialist Dr. Neil Stanley of the University of Surrey in the UK, we were never meant to share our beds.  He claims that the modern tradition of the marital bed only began with the Industrial Revolution, when people moving to overcrowded towns and cities found themselves short of living space. Before the Victorian era it was not uncommon for married couples to sleep apart. Dr. Stanley also claims that in ancient Rome the marital bed was a place for sexual congress and not sleep.

One study found that during sleep if one partner moves then there is a 50% chance that the slumbering partner will have their sleep disturbed. Poor sleep is linked to higher stress levels, depression, heart disease, strokes, lung disorders, traffic and industrial accidents. Even divorce! Sleep is apparently the most selfish thing we can do. Yet sleep seems to be largely ignored as an important aspect of health. What is important to stress however is if you have been sleeping perfectly well and you are happy then never mind the change. However if you do not sleep well, do not be afraid to try something different like the ancestors of our past.

Joe Pilates was born in the 19th century and wrote about the detrimental affects on people who moved from the country into the towns and cities. Could it be perhaps that he knew couples who shared a bed would be potentially harming their sleep and negatively affecting their health? Could this be why the V-bed was only designed for one person? We will probably never know, however, if so then the design of the bed would make much more sense.

Geoff Jones from Cambridge England has re-created the V-bed from Joseph Pilates original patents. He has changed the design to a ‘flat pack’ concept that is assembled with no screws or tools, allowing the pieces to easily interlock. It certainly looks very interesting to try out.

Perhaps in the future sleep specialists might investigate and study the V-bed design. They could even recommend people start adopting them as standard! Joe said toward the end of his life that he was fifty years ahead of his time. Could it be in a decade many of us will have a V-bed in our homes?

About the Author: Scott Kane, a Classical student attends Romana trained Daphne Pena-higgs studio in Queens park London.  He discovered the V-Bed and Geoff Jones website and felt a ‘pull’ to do some research on it.

Tags: daphne pena-higgs, Geoff Jones, pilates, V-Bed