Online fitness classes get home-workers moving in Cheshire

With many more of us working from home, it is ever likely that we are sitting at a home desk (often the kitchen table) for long periods and due to current lockdown restrictions are limited to exercising outside only once per day.

This is having a major impact on people’s activity levels, Sport England’s Active Lives Survey last year showed that nearly 3 million people were less active during the lockdown from mid-March to mid-May.

Even though their local leisure centres are closed, Everybody Sport and Recreation members are determined to not let the latest lockdown stop them from exercising and one member in particular has been taking part in online fitness classes to remain active.

Chris Mitchell from Holmes Chapel has been working from home during lockdown, but has been taking part in online fitness classes with the new website Everybody@Home.

She commented, “I have been to classes at the [Holmes Chapel Community] centre for many years and felt I needed to keep going during lockdown. I really enjoyed the online classes that were put on during the first lockdown and was keen to carry on when Everybody@Home came online.

I am not a keen keep fit person but know how important it is to exercise. I have always enjoyed Pilates. Stretch and Tone is also a favourite and to get my heart rate up I have done Dance Fit or Legs Bums and Tums.”

Everybody @ home offers over 35 live health and fitness classes per week as well as a selection of on-demand workouts, including Yoga, Pilates, HIIT, Dance Fit, Legs Bums and Tums and more! Everybody leisure centres are currently closed due to the national lockdown, however the charity is letting people in Cheshire and Staffordshire join now and pay nothing until the centres reopen – so all the live and ondemand classes are free during lockdown!

Chris continued, “Working from home means I can do a class before starting work instead of commuting. Sunrise Stretch and Tone on Wednesdays gets me going before sitting at my desk all day. Being live also feels as though I am at a class instead of just catching up on my own.”

Chris and other members are also enjoying the flexibility that online fitness classes give them, as they are able to join in at a time convenient to them and stay fit even during the cold and wet winter months!

Chris says, “Being able to use the catch up classes means I don't have to wait until a inconvenient time to do the live class. Early morning suits me to do the live classes but waiting until 6 or 7pm is too late. Being able to finish work and do a class is perfect, then I can get tea ready and do family things.

She continues, “The fact that I don't have to leave the house, particularly in this weather and situation gives me more incentive to do the classes online. The instructors are all lovely and make you feel as though you are in the studio with them. The classes are fun and have a feel good factor. I would recommend anyone to join.”

More information on how to join Everybody sport and recreation and get access to free online workouts with Everybody@Home can be found at: www.everybody.org.uk/everybody-ondemand

Everybody Sport & Recreation – Everybody Sport and Recreation is a registered charity and company limited by guarantee. As a Health and Wellbeing Charity, Everybody Sport and Recreation aims to provide ‘leisure for life’ by changing lives through healthy recreation. The charity operates 16 leisure facilities across the Cheshire East region as well as a range of Health, Leisure Development and Outreach programmes and the new Everybody Academy, providing local training and career opportunities. For more information please visit: www.everybody.org.uk or follow on Twitter @ebleisure.

Pictured - Chris Mitchell from Holmes Chapel is using Everybody@Home online fitness classes to stay active whilst working from home.