An exercise teacher is travelling back to her homeland to take centre stage with fellow fitness enthusiasts as New Zealand celebrates 70 years of The Fitness League.

Margaret Kemsley-Smith, of Heston, moved here 30 years ago and has been active in The Fitness League since she first started as a member in 1980.

She remains true to her New Zealand roots but is looking forward to representing the UK and performing in front of her family and friends.

There are two UK teams taking part in the celebration show in April. One item, Kaleidoscope, is being performed by 24 teachers and members while the other, called Chi Chicane, is an apparatus-based performance by 12 teachers.

The event will also include a programme of combined classes and demonstrations with a lot of socialising in between.

The Fitness League was set up in London in 1930 by Mollie (Mary) Bagot Stack, who proceeded to revolutionise exercise for women by creating a system of movements, which could be adapted for all ages and abilities, during a time when this way of thinking was completely new.

Margaret, is a true advocate. She became a teacher herself after her teacher at the time suggested she do the specialist training, the Bagot Stack diploma, which is a combination of practical and theory.

She said: "You do need to know your bone structures and what muscle groups you're using and why you're using them and why you're doing that particular exercise for the benefit of which particular part of the body and that's how the training has always worked.

"We really emphasise stretching and strengthening and mobilising joints and we're very much posture-based. I think it's because you've got to get your posture correct and from that you can get the whole of the rest of your body into alignment."

Margaret includes a certain amount of cardio-vascular work through dance in her classes to build up stamina but realises the importance of gauging the capabilities of the specific group.

She has now been teaching for the last 14 years in centres in Chiswick and Isleworth.

"I'm very lucky in that the people who come to my classes are very loyal and keen and they will come week after week .

"We seem to have survived all the various fitness fads that come and go and I just love the movement part of it all."

Margaret also sets up training groups for new students to become teachers and has had three students trained so far. She always allocates them some of her class time so they can gain experience and communicate with members.

The Fitness League teachers are all part of the Register of Exercise Professionals (REPs), which gives them the equivalent training of NVQ level three.

Wearing another hat, Margaret is regional co-ordinator for Greater London and the south-east.

There are now 366 centres in the UK with a current membership of 10,600.

The Fitness League meets at the Arts Educational School, Bath Road, Chiswick at 7.30pm on Mondays and at Worple Primary School, Queen's Terrace, Isleworth at 7.45pm on Wednesdays.

For more information call 020 8749 1820