Kings Langley woman designs work outs to boost your mental and physical health in lockdown

A woman from Kings Langley wants to help readers relax during the coronavirus lockdown by sharing some of her fitness and wellbeing tips.

Emily Hale, owner of Build and Breathe Pilates in Kings Langley, started practising Pilates following a diagnosis of Scoliosis, she wants to use her expertise to help others keep active at home.

She has moved her classes online and is hosting live workouts each morning and extra evening classes to accommodate new clients.

She said: "I wanted to get in touch and see where I could offer my expertise - I know with an increased number of people working from home, back pain is going to be a big issue – I’d love to offer fitness and wellbeing tips for your readers to mitigate this.

"After having surgery to fuse the whole length of my spine, I experience high levels of pain daily, and have developed my own range of dynamic stretches and strengthening exercises that help with this, and I know others would really benefit too.

"I’ve developed a number of home-workouts, posted to my Instagram for others to follow and have had lovely feedback from the community who are feeling the benefits of regular exercise.

"Staying active benefits so much more than our musculoskeletal health, it’s deeply intertwined with our mental wellbeing - staying active during these troubling times can produce a transformational effect on our mindset."

Whether you’re a seasoned Pilates pro or a complete beginner, anyone can use the safe movements Pilates offers to grow strength and improve stability and joint mobility.

To combat ‘tech neck’ from bending over your work laptop with minimal movement, and further tension around shoulders and the neck from stress, Emily has developed a 20 minute session that can be completed easily from home to strengthen your posture muscles, open up your chest and stretch out your upper back.

20-minute Home Pilates Workout:

1. Dumb waiters, x10 with x5 pulses at the end. Keep elbows tucked into lower ribcage and a 90-degree angle at the elbow – rotate out to the side, then release back in.

2. Subscapularis release, x8 upwards and x10 downwards. Rotate forearm up and down the wall, keeping elbows still. (pictured)

3. Shoulder squeezes, x8. Rotate arms outwards and lift slightly from the floor, squeeze shoulder blades together.

4. Chest stretch, x1 min. Bring arms into W shape either side of head to open the chest. Can place a pillow under upper back for a deeper stretch.

5. Chalk circles, x8 each side. Start on side with bent knees. Draw a big circle up and back over your head, finishing by drawing up by your knees. (pictured)

6. Overhead shoulder stretch, x1 min hold. Place hands on a sturdy surface and use this to help stretch your arms up over your head.

For more information about Emily's online evening group classes, visit: www.facebook.com/buildbreathepilates or www.buildbreathe.co.uk.

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