A PILATES teacher who had to move her classes online because of coronavirus is planning to keep the format because they have been so popular.

Claire Seager, who ran nine classes a day in four venues in the Woking area, was forced to make an immediate switch to using the Zoom app when lockdown was announced in March.

“There was an announcement at 5pm from Number 10 and I had to cancel the three classes booked for that evening,” Claire said.

“The next morning, I held my first Zoom class.”

Claire said she now has 36 people taking the online classes, including people from South Africa, Singapore, Sweden and The Netherlands and former clients who have moved out of the area. As well as the live Zoom classes, Claire offers around 35 pre-recorded classes.

She said that about a third of her clients who came to venues wanted those classes to resume but most of the others were keen for the Zoom classes to continue.

“They like the fact that classes are 45 minutes instead of an hour and coming to a class can take two hours out of your day. With Zoom classes, you could even just roll out of your bed on to the mat and start the class.”

Claire said that when she is able to teach in venues again she will have to adapt her classes according to the changing restrictions, which might mean limiting numbers.

She has also found that some clients who were doing one class a week are now doing up to four because of the convenience of the online format.

Claire grew up in Pirbright and went to The Winston Churchill School. She now lives in West End and began teaching pilates in January 2015.

For more information, visit www.claireseagerpilates.com.