Hartlepool woman Sarah Major believes too many people are developing bad backs and it is all down to the postures they are developing in the modern lifestyle.

The 45-year-old told the Mail: "Modern day living means you sit across a computer and lose your posture. It creates a distortion which causes immense problems, particularly later in life.

"People tend to slouch and lean forward and it causes the muscles to deform."

Sarah – who is married to Stephen, 47, and has two children Roxanne, 15, and Maddie, 10 – is hoping to change attitudes to pilates which many people still do not understand, she says.

"There are a lot of myths about it. People come to my classes because they know they should be there but they don't know what they should be doing."

Sarah is launching a range of classes to cater for everyone from absolute beginner to people with some previous experience of doing pilates.

She said pilates was all about "core stability."

And she's hoping people of all ages can be persuaded to improve their balance, posture and body tone.

Sarah has been self employed and teaching fitness for around 14 years.

She has focused on pilates "with great intent" for the last five years.

She is confident that, with her help, people can be helped with posture before it gets to the stage where they need to see a doctor.

Pilates is a sequence of exercises done on a mat with the emphasis on technique.

Anyone interested can attend classes at the village hall in Hart, on the outskirts of Hartlepool, on Mondays and Wednesdays at 6pm.

Classes are also being held at K2 Physiocare, in Park Road, Hartlepool, on Tuesdays at 9.30am and Thursdays at 6pm, although places are limited.
Sessions are also held at Springs gym, at Hartlepool Marina, on Thursdays at 10.45am.