CHILDREN have been kept active in schools and at home with exercise videos and health resources from a leisure centre.

The support for children, schools and families is part of Burnley Leisure’s wide-ranging work throughout the past 12 months to support people’s physical and mental health through the covid-19 lockdowns and restrictions.

Since the pandemic began, Burnley Leisure staff have created free fitness workout videos and wellbeing sessions for the community, helped the Burnley Together network to support residents with everyday needs and, more recently led the roll-out of regular covid-19 testing for people at work

Neil Hutchinson, Head of Group Operations at Burnley Leisure, said: “The many weeks of lockdown have been especially difficult for children. Many have missed hours of PE lessons, physical play, sports clubs and other activities they would normally take part in, along with normal daily activity such as walking and cycling to school.

“We then had requests from other schools so we made the videos and streamed sessions available for all local schools through Burnley Schools Sports Partnership."

The family fitness routines included skipping, dancing, jumping, boxing, stretching, balancing, body weight exercises and basic cardio routines, all at moderate intensity.

They also educate children about healthy living and the physical and mental benefits from getting that all-important ‘feel-good’ factor through activity.