Sport and physical activity news

March 2020

Support for staying active during COVID-19 pandemic

Southwark Council is asking all residents to follow the national guidance on self-isolation and social distancing (for example, not attending busy local areas if going out for the one daily exercise activity), please note people at risk should not be going out at all. Further information on social distancing is available on the NHS website.

But staying active is more important than ever, and even if you’re mostly in your house at the moment, there are plenty of ways you can achieve this. Being active in a way that is right for you can improve your physical health, help manage stress and anxiety and generally make you feel better.

Sport England advises that if you're going outside to get fresh air and to get active, that you do it locally – observing social distancing and good general hygiene. They have also created a webpage that gives ideas about keeping active in and around your home and will be adding more ideas over the coming weeks, staying active while at home, with further ideas being shared across social media using #StayInWorkOut.

The Youth Sport Trust has made resources available to support teachers, parents and carers to continue with Physical Education and Active Play while children are at home instead of school, free home learning resources

If you are rarely active or have an existing or previous health condition that could be affected by a new exercise routine, then it is probably wise not to start anything new that might be beyond your capability. Any new activity should be comfortable to do and only increased very slowly over days and weeks.

Further opportunities

• The Body Coach (daily PE workout for children and families, 9am on YouTube)
• NHS 10 Minute workouts
• 10Today radio and video 10 minute workouts for older adults, and is being played on BBC 5Live sport extra
• Change4Life and Disney 10 minute shake up aimed at children
• YST free learning resources about staying active
• Later Life Training three 10 minute sessions a day for functional movement activity for older people
• Interactive activities for young people with a disability (Leonard Cheshire Disability)
• Silverfit@Home is a series of online workouts for older adults, delivered by Silverfit, that people can follow in their own home
• Marathon Kids daily videos of games and activities posted for all ages and families

Page last updated: 05 February 2024