PILATES is a great way to strengthen your body's core muscles and enhance your posture at the same time. It is a slow, controlled form of exercising that improves posture, balance and co-ordination.

The excercises are designed to tap into the deeper muscle tissues in the body that help support the spine and gently pull in and up the stomach and pelvic floor muscles.

Ewa Stefanska is a pilates instructor who runs classes throughout West Ealing.

Her experience as a professional dancer for more than 25 years has given her a vast insight into the important role that balance and posture play in our everyday life.

Ewa has a sports science degree and trained in the Stott Pilates method in Toronto, Canada.

She says: "It takes six to ten sessions to begin to understand the muscle movement pattern that will achieve great results. Clients comment how they begin to feel the muscles working after six sessions.

"Pilates teaches you to know your body and posture so you apply it to daily life, sport, work, travel and even climbing the stairs correctly."

Pilates can be taken up by anyonemobility, fitness and age is immaterial.

The exercises can help to improve suppleness and flexibility and is particularly beneficial to those overcoming back, knee, and hip problems.

Ewa runs small group classes in local halls on Friday mornings and Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings in the Ealing area.

She also trains individuals on a onetoone basis in her fully equipped private studio.

These classes are put into tenweek courses and places need to be booked in advance.

For more information phone 07799 410959 or 0208 8105077.

Advertisement feature by Matthew Szurgot