Judy Murray: Fitness guru is no ordinary Joe and could help make our kids exercise

We all have memories from our childhood of lining up in an ugly PE kit (mine was thick grey cotton baggy shorts and an ill-fitting white Aertex shirt), waiting for our name to be called so we could join a team – the agony and shame that came with being picked last!

I’m sure this scenario is one of the reasons so many people are put off playing sport or fail to find a love for physical activity when they are younger. And, if we want the next generation of kids to become fitter, it has to change.

That’s why I’ve loved seeing so many people – adults and children alike – getting involved with personal trainer Joe Wicks’ daily workout classes, which are streamed live online each weekday morning from 9am sharp. He has become the “nation’s PE teacher”. He’s taken exercise out of the sports hall and into the home, giving families the chance to enjoy getting fit together for a change.

What’s more, he’s also found a smart way to appeal to kids and teenagers. Our youngsters are already spending loads of time on social media platforms, such as Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, so he has entered their world, making it cool to jump around the living room in your trainers.

Who knew that Spider-Man lunges and Superman squats with sound effects and music could be so much fun? And what’s more, it doesn’t matter if you are good or bad at the moves because everyone is focused on the screen rather than watching what anyone else is doing.

This week Joe made a call for all schools to adopt mandatory fitness mornings once lockdown ends. He said: “My mission before all this was to try to make regular exercise – not games or sport – be on the curriculum. I want children to have 15-20 minutes at the start of the day. It will turn your child into a positive, optimistic, focused and energised little human being.” Preach, Joe. I am totally with you on that.

He talks with the same passion I do about getting kids active and the importance of exercise becoming a way of life. So, let’s have a variety of activities to get kids moving with their classmates – fun workouts will keep kids engaged in a way that cross-country in the pouring rain never did.

There’s a lot of research to suggest getting some kind of physical activity before work or school helps us to focus and concentrate throughout the day, having a positive impact on both our mental and physical health. But we need to adopt modern approaches that spark a life-long passion for exercise.

We’re quickly becoming used to learning new skills from online videos and instructions now, so it’s never been easier for schools to add new ways of exercising to the curriculum. When the kids are back in uniform, why couldn’t teachers simply pop one of Joe’s YouTube videos and get everyone to join in?

Hopefully, our education experts are taking note and we’ll see a fresh shake-up of sport in schools.