Health and fitness

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From Monday 29 March 2021, the ‘stay at home’ message is being eased to ‘stay local’ and there is a return of the ‘rule of six’, meaning groups of up to six people or two households will be allowed to meet outdoors.

You can:

travel for sport and exercise
get active outdoors in a group of six, under the 'rule of six', as two households or in your support bubble
use all outdoor sport facilities, which can now reopen, including tennis and basketball courts, sports pitches, outdoor skateparks, outdoor gyms and outdoor swimming pools
take part in organised outdoor sport and physical activity for adults and children - these are exempt from the legal gathering limits. The threshold on participant numbers will be decided by each national governing body or organising organisation and will follow Covid-Secure guidance

Organised outdoor sport and activity includes:

organised outdoor group activities (e.g. outdoor exercise classes, group cycle rides, walking groups etc.)
outdoor team sports (including adapted versions for ‘higher risk’ team sports)
other organised outdoor sports, such as, but not limited to, tennis, golf, horse riding, water sports will be able to resume
organised sport participation events (road races, running and cycling events, triathlons etc.)

You cannot:

spectate at any grassroot sport or physical activity session or event. This does not apply to carers for disabled people, or adults needed to supervise under-18s in a safeguarding role. Where it‘s necessary for them to be present, supervising adults should not mix with others from outside their household or support bubble
take part in informal sport and activity that doesn't follow the legal gathering limits for outdoors: the 'rule of six' or two households, as this is not covered by any exemptions

Other exemptions:

Disabled people can take part in organised outdoor and indoor sport without being subject to social contact limits and there are also exemptions for education, coach education and elite sport.

The coronavirus crisis is unprecedented in modern times, with the official advice to follow on social distancing and avoid non-essential travel – including working from home if you can – which means our routines are changing.

If you are now working from home or self-isolating, remember to stick to your normal everyday routines as much as possible. Wake up when you normally would, eat when you normally would and exercise regularly.

Physical activity matters during this period and, actually, we think it’s more important than ever right now. Being active in a way that is right for you can improve your physical health, help manage stress and anxiety and just generally make you feel better.

If you are mostly in your house at the moment, there are plenty of ways you can stay active. There is a wealth of free online content to help you get active, if you feel well. We are collating some of this and are encouraging people to share some of the best ideas they find online using the Sport England campaign #StayInWorkOut.

Keep an eye on this page, because we’re going to add even more helpful resources as time goes on. Be sure to let us know if you’ve spotted a different way of exercising, too! If there’s something fabulous that we haven’t listed below, we would love to share it with others.

Home workouts

Places Leisure - Keep a watch on their Facebook page for Places Leisure who will be sharing workouts each week.
Everyone Active - Everyone Active offers live online classes for free on their Facebook page.
Les Mills – on demand or Fitness Blender - A fantastic, FREE option to help to keep you active and working out at home, offering over 100 workouts across 10 categories of classes.
Nike Training Club – nearly 200 free workouts across strength, endurance, yoga and mobility. Session range from 15 – 45 minutes and its FREE
POPSUGAR Fitness – more than 500 workouts from celebrity trainers and fitness experts covering disciplines including boxing, dance, Pilates and HIIT. It’s FREE
Joe Wicks – The Body Coach - Free workouts with hundreds available for all fitness levels. These fun workouts can be done at home with no equipment.
Our Parks – at home workouts to do at any time of the day that includes a beginners nine-week online programme of exercise classes. Each video class is hosted by three different coaches, all working at different energy levels, so its suitable for all abilities. Its FREE
This Girl Can - Have put together a useful list of exercises to try at home, from tabletop press ups to living room wall sits – and they’re great for women and men alike.
NHS home workouts – home workout videos which include a strengthening workout and a 10 minute cardio workout. Its FREE
Own Your Goals - 30 Days free membership with no payment details required, work out classes with Davina McCall including Yoga, Pilates and other workouts.
DanceEast - Free videos with classes including yoga, Pilates, ballet, ballet barre and contemporary, as well as warm up and cool down videos. There is something suitable for all ages and abilities.
Yoga with Adriene – FREE high quality practices on yoga and mindfulness to inspire people of all ages, shapes and sizes.
Rachel Lawrence Pilates – FREE Pilates session in a friendly style with a wide range of classes to inspire, inform and challenge

Home workouts with the kids

Get Kids Moving – a FREE selection of workouts that put the fun back into fitness and help engage kids. Children can train alongside their favourite superheroes from the comfort of their home.
Cosmic Kids Yoga – FREE yoga, mindfulness and relaxation designed especially for kids aged three and above.
Disney Workouts – a FREE change for parents and kids to get moving to the songs they love. Learn their moves or put your own spin on the routine.

Home workouts if you are older

10 Today – a set of fun of FREE 10 minute audio and video workouts, intended to easily fit into your day that helps get you stretching and moving at home.
Move it or Lose it – a FREE series of fitness videos for older people by exercise instructor Julie Robinson.
Yoga with Adriene – FREE high quality practices on yoga and mindfulness to inspire people of all ages, shapes and sizes.
Rachel Lawrence Pilates – FREE Pilates session in a friendly style with a wide range of classes to inspire, inform and challenge

The Chief Medical Officer’s own physical activity guidance highlights the benefits of maintaining muscle strength, balance and flexibility.

These specific exercises are great for all ages, but particularly if you’re over 65:

Active outside

As government restrictions around the coronavirus change, it can be confusing as to what we can and can’t do. GetOutside is a resource founded by Ordance Survey, bringing together current advice from the government, local authorities and other outdoor organisations, to help you decide where to go and what to do.

You can still get active outside, just remember to keep your distance from other pedestrians, the advice is to stay at least two metres (three paces) away from people when you are out and about.

In case you aren’t sure, here is some helpful advice on social distancing.

Active 10 - This app, from the NHS, is a great way to help you monitor and gradually increase your brisk walking levels over time. If you are feeling anxious in these uncertain times you could also consider some of the walking meditations from Headspace.Active 10 is available to download via Apple's App Store and Google Play.
Nike Run Club - This free running app includes GPS run tracking, audio-guided runs and weekly challenges. Customised coaching plans help you achieve your goals.
Couch to 5k - A free NHS app that has a week by week description of the 9 week set of couch to 5k podcasts. Each week involves 3 runs.

Love to Ride

Cycling is a great way to maintain your mental and physical health. Check out the Ride Healthy website if you're new to riding or want to promote cycling in your area.

If you are a key worker and/or cannot work from home, cycling frees up space on public transport for those who can't ride, incorporates exercise into your day, is very low cost and good for the environment. We've got lots of support to help you ride, including the Urban Cycling Skills webinar (register to find out about future webinars) and the Ride Healthy site .

During the first lockdown there was a 300% increase in cycling in some places in the UK. Many people reported finding quieter roads much more enjoyable to ride on. Traffic levels are likely to be much lower than usual this month, so if you haven't ridden in winter before, now is a great opportunity to give it a go.

Leisure centres

Our Leisure Centres are closed in line with Government Guidelines.

More information on our facilities:

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