In March 2020, Sport England launched a brand new Join the Movement campaign to help people nation-wide get active at home, while the country deals with the coronavirus outbreak. This campaign invites you to share your videos on social media using the hashtag #StayInWorkOut.

Following the governments most recent advice, all leisure centres, including those owned by local councils, are closed. Naturally, as staying active is vital to everyone’s physical and mental wellbeing, we have partnered with Sport England in support of the campaign and will be encouraging you to take part in the campaign by sharing videos on our social media channels.

We’ve collated some of the activities listed on the #StayInWorkOut activity hub and beyond to help you and your families get and stay active, with further activities featuring on our activity finder.

Ways to stay active at home

Want to dance along to Disney? Or are you over 65 and need something more relatable that you can do from your chair? Here are some of the best free video content and other types of activities compiled by Sport England to keep you moving at or close to home.

General Fitness

• Couch to Fitness – A lot of people want to feel fitter, and want to find activities they can do at home, so Our Parks created Couch to Fitness – an at-home exercise plan for beginners. The plan is completely FREE and involves 3 video sessions a week, with rest days in between, and a different schedule for each of the 9 weeks.
• Fitness Blender – Fitness Blender believes fitness should be accessible to everyone, everywhere. With hundreds of professionally led workouts, as well as a positive community, you’ll have everything you need to reach your personal fitness goals.
• NHS home workouts – You can also follow these home workout videos from the NHS, which includes a strengthening workout and a 10-minute cardio workout.
• Our Parks – Our Parks is known for delivering fitness sessions in parks across London and the UK. On their YouTube channel you can find at-home workouts, delivered by qualified instructors, to do at any time of the day.
• POPSUGAR Fitness – Over 500 ad-free workouts from celebrity trainers and fitness experts, including POPSUGAR’s exclusive multi-week challenges. The app ‘Active by POPSUGAR’ is also free to use at this time.
• Sweaty Betty – Workout from home with Sweaty Betty’s online fitness classes. With workouts ranging from yoga to HIIT, you’ll be able to find a class to suit your timeframe and fitness level.
• This Girl Can Activity Finder – This Girl Can have recently launched their Activity Finder, featuring both online and in-person activities. A variety of activities are accessible catering to women of all fitness levels.

Activities for Children & Young People

• Accessible activities – There are also lots of ways to keep children and young people who are disabled active indoors, including a seated version of a classic obstacle race.
• Change4Life – Change4Life has created some Disney-themed indoor games and activities, including a Toy Story 4-inspired Find Forky game, that are bundles of fun and will get the kids moving.
• Disney dance-along– Partnering with Disney, This Girl Can has captured some of the ways mums and kids get moving to the songs they love. Learn their moves or put your own spin on their routines.
• The Body Coach – Joe Wicks, aka the Body Coach, has lots of free workouts that are fun and can be done at home with no equipment.

Older Adults

• 10 Today – A set of fun, 10-minute workouts intended to easily fit into your day that help get you stretching and moving at home. You can find audio or video workouts on the 10 Today website.
• Move it or Lose it – Founded by exercise instructor Julie Robinson, Move it or Lose it has created a series of fitness videos for older people.
• NHS sitting exercises – Sitting exercises are great for all ages, but particularly if you’re over 65. Click on the button below to also find strength, balance and flexibility exercises.
• Strengthen and Stretch – Endorsed by FLexercise, Strengthen and Stretch offers fun and friendly, weekly online exercise sessions for older adults that work the whole body.

People with a Disability​

• MS Society – Symptoms of multiple sclerosis can make it hard to exercise. So the MS Society has worked with personal trainer Dom to create a range of exercises for people with MS. These workouts are designed for different levels of mobility.
• NHS Pilates workout – The NHS has produced a Pilates-inspired 30-minute workout suitable for people with several conditions including multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic pain and fibromyalgia.
• Parasport – Parasport are producing home workout routines especially designed for disabled people. New content will be added to the website all the time, so keep an eye on the latest updates.
• We Are Undefeatable – The purpose of this movement is to support and encourage by finding ways to be active that work with each person’s long-term health conditions, not against them.
• WheelPowerVideos – WheelPower supports over 62,099 disabled people to participate in sport and activity across the country. Discover ways to maintain strength and activity levels with their video series.

Ways to get active outdoors

If you’re going outside to get fresh air and to get active, you are now allowed go outside for unlimited amounts of physical activity per day. Please always follow the latest official advice on social distancing – which means staying more than two metres from others outside of your household – and follow the advice on hand hygiene. It’s important that you stick stringently to the guidance.

• Walking is one of the easiest ways to get active, if you have some space and can follow the government guidelines on social distancing.
• Couch to 5k is a nine-week programme of podcasts that does exactly what it says on the tin – taking you from the couch to running 5kms.
• The Active 10 app, from the NHS, is a great way to help you monitor and gradually increase your brisk walking levels over time. If you’re feeling anxious in these uncertain times you could also consider some of the walking meditations from Headspace.

Everyone Active’s Online Package

Just because our centres are closed, doesn’t mean we shouldn’t continue to be active to support both our physical and mental health. ActiveWestminster’s operator Everyone Active are offering you access to their online solution for just £9.99 a month. This consists of three great at-home workout solutions including Les Mills on Demand, worth £45 per month. Register or find out more here.

Virtual Activity Guide for Local Providers

ActiveWestminster partners imin have produced a simple guide to help local activity providers stream sessions/classes.