Government and Joe Wicks support families to stay active
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Families encouraged to keep children active over the summer
holidays with Joe Wicks' animated fitness series, Activate, backed
by government Nine in ten(88%) of parents* worry their
children will get too much sustained inactive' time during the
summer, and less than a fifth (18%) think their children will
achieve 60 minutes of physical activity every day during the summer
holidays Activate provides free five-minute episodes, making
it fun and easy for...Request free
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Families across the country are being encouraged to help children stay active over the summer holidays asthegovernment continues to back the free, animated fitness series, Activate, created by Joe Wicks MBE. This comes as new data showsnearly nine in ten parents* (88%) worry their children will have too much sustained sedentary time over the summer holidays, whilst less than a fifth (18%) think their children will achieve 60 minutes of daily physical activity every day of the week during the summer holidays. Activate is a collection of short, five-minute exercise episodes availableonBBC iPlayer, with daily episodes broadcast on CBeebieswhich are designed to make physical activity fun and accessible for children, encouraging them to incorporate movement into their day whether at home, on holiday or between summer activities. Theserieshasbeen created by Joe Wicks andStudioAKA(creators of HeyDuggee), andincludes themed-episodes, featuring exercisessuch as squats, running on the spot, and star jumps. Each episode is set to popular songs from Gala to Olly Alexander, plus select tracks courtesy of Universal Music UK such as Bastille, the Spice Girls and Rizzle Kicks so the whole family can get involved. Building on the success of last summer - when Activate was first launched with the backing of the Department of Health and Social Care, which funded ten episodes - the series inspirednearly 60,000hours of active time among families. The seriesnow has a collection of18 different episodes, including themed specials like the World Cup, aBack to Schoolchallengeand Christmasspecial Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, James Murray said: We want every child to have the best possible start inlife, andhelping families build regular physical activity into their daily routines is an important part of that. Activate makes it easier for children to enjoy being active through fun,freeand accessible content that families can use wherever they are this summer. Together with the refreshed Physical Activity Guidelines, parents can be confident they have the tools they need to help their children develop healthy habits that can benefit them for years to come. The summer holidays can present a challenge for families looking to keep children active, as regular school routines and opportunities for exercise change. Nearly seven in 10 (68%) parents* said their children were more active during term time because schools provide opportunities such as PE, sports clubs or break time. By providing free, accessible content that can be completed in just five minutes, the series aims to remove some of the barriers that families can face when trying to stay active during the school holidays. Joe Wicks MBE said: Many parents know that keeping childrenactive during the summer holidaysisn'talways easy. Once school finishes, routines change and there are lots of competingdemands on family time, soit'simportant that movement feels fun,simpleand easy to fit into the day. Activate was created with exactly that in mind. The seriesdoesn'tjust get kids jumping around -it'sdesigned to break-up sedentary time with accessible movements built around strengthand conditioning - like squats,burpeesand press-ups - without kids even realising they are exercising'. There really is a challenge for everyone, andwe'vemade sure there is a fresh, exciting theme for each of the episodes so families can either take on a surfing challenge, climb a treetop, or test their superhero powers, to name a few. A year on,I'veloved seeing all the videos from families taking on Activate challenges together - and not just kids, but dads and mums too. Parents and carers are suchimportant rolemodels in showing kids that exercise is good for you, soit'sbeen fantastic to see them take part. My mission has always been to help children develop a positive relationship with exercise, and I hope Activate gives families a fun, free tool to stay active together throughout the holidays and beyond. Parents and carers are encouraged to take part alongside their children, helping to make activity enjoyable and creating opportunities for families to have fun together. The drive follows the publication of the updated UK Chief Medical Officers' Physical Activity Guidelines, which use the latest evidence for adults, and reiterates the importance of regular physical activity for good physical and mental health. Obesity is the UK's most preventable chronic illnesses, costing the NHS £11.4 billion a year, with more than one in five children living with obesity by the time they leave primary school, rising to almost one in three in areas with higher levels of poverty and deprivation. Following a healthy diet and being physically active helps relieve pressure on the NHS, with Sport England estimating that being active prevents £15.9 billion worth of treatment a year. Despite that, inactivity levels remain high for adults and children, with around 12 million adults doing less than on average 30 mins of moderate activity a week and over 2 million children on average doing less than 30 mins of moderate activity a day, with huge inequalities across the country. TheActivateprogrammerepresentsa collaborative approach to tackling this growing health challenge. Activateis backed by the government's 10 Year Health Plan, which has pledged to work with influencers and changemakers across society to shift the NHS from treating illness to preventing it. The government is encouraging families to use the free resources throughout the summer holidays asa simple wayto help children stay active andestablishhealthy habits that can last a lifetime. Chief Executive of Sport England, Simon Hayes said: Positive experiences of movement in childhood can help spark a lifelong love of being active, whether it's to have fun, build confidence, learn new skills or support their physical and mental wellbeing It's hugely encouraging that more children than ever are meeting the recommended physical activity guidelines, but too many still miss out on the benefits of being active. That's why free, accessible programmes like Activate are so important. By making movement fun and easy to build into everyday life, they can help children develop healthy habits, discover the joy of being active, and build the confidence to take part in play, sport and other everyday activities for years to come. Background information About Activate Activateisa first-of-its-kind animated physical activity series created by fitness coach and the nation's favourite PE teacher, Joe Wicks.The animated Activate series was created byStudioAKA(creators of HeyDuggee) and features five-minute episodes combining animation with upbeat music, courtesy of Universal Music UK, to encourage children to enjoy short, joyful bursts of movement that easily fit into their day.Activatewassupported by the Department of Health and Social Careas part of an ongoing partnership, helping to embed it within comunities and schools across the nation andfunding tenepisodes. Research Methodology The research was conducted by Censuswide, among a sample of 2,010 parents of 4-11 year olds in England. The data was collected between 01.07.2026 - 06.07.2026. Censuswide is a member of the Market Research Society (MRS) and the British Polling Council (BPC), a signatory of the Global Data Quality Pledge and adheres to the MRS Code of Conduct and ESOMAR principles.
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