A POUNDBURY pilates instructor has been helping a Chinese sailor in her bid for Olympic glory.

Ruth Cowell is celebrating the first anniversary of Poundbury Pilates and is hoping her efforts over the past 12 months have included spurring one of her clients onto medal success.

A range of clients aged from 17 to 87 have been to Ruth's classes to sample the benefits of pilates and among them are sports enthusiasts and experience athletes who use it to help prevent injury or enhance their performance.

It has become a key part of the training programme for Lijia Xu, known as Lily, as she prepared to represent China at the Rio 2016 Olympics.

Lily won gold at the 2012 Olympics in the women's Laser Radial category off the waters of Weymouth and Portland.

She continued to live in Dorset after the event ad train with her coach John Emmett.

Lily has recently been working with Ruth at her Poundbury studio to release tension in the muscles and stretch out the spine after a tough day's training in the confines of a sailing boat.

Ruth said: "It’s been great for the studio to have its first professional athlete and to be part of Lily's preparation.

"Working with Lily and her sailing coach Jon Emmett is an absolute pleasure and I wish her the very best of luck in the Rio Olympics.”

Coach Jon said: "Pilates is an absolutely essential part of Lijia Xu's training, not only for performance but also injury prevention.

"We are very grateful for the training at Poundbury Pilates and we visit the studio as often as our international programme will allow."

Ruth's studio in Buttermarket Square boast four Reformer machines - resistance benches that use a system of springs, ropes and straps connected to a moving carriage to offer the potential for hundreds of different pilates positions and exercises.

She also teaches matwork pilates to groups of up to six across all ranges of ability as well as pregnancy and post-natal pilates while many clients have sought out pilates for specific injuries or chronic conditions.

Ruth’s client Gwyneth Brewster said: "I started having one-to-one pilates sessions with Ruth after my osteopath and physiotherapist suggested it to strengthen my core muscles to help with arthritis in my back.

"I can't believe how quickly it has improved things."