Although the onset of colder weather and the additional restrictions in place to combat Covid-19 are making it a challenge right now, Rebecca Harris MP is encouraging people to be as active as possible over the Autumn and Winter months.
Rebecca is supporting Sport England’s work to help keep the nation active, and their message is simple – being active and playing sport, where appropriate, is good for your physical health and good for your mental health; being as fit as possible right now is a great way to deal with illness and viruses.
Though there are restrictions in place (the current local restrictions in place can be viewed via the Government’s website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/local-restrictions-areas-with-an-outbreak-of-coronavirus-covid-19) this doesn't mean that grassroots sport and physical activity cannot happen – in fact most activities are back up and running with additional safety measures in place.
It is understandable that people are feeling anxious about taking part in sport and activity and some people are worried generally about being around others.
That’s why Sport England want to continue providing support and advice to help people feel comfortable to be as active as possible at this time, and why Rebecca also wants to help us to understand what is and isn't allowed at this time. For further guidance, please visit Sport England’s website at: https://www.sportengland.org/how-we-can-help/coronavirus/return-play.
In short people can still carry on being physically active, doing many of the activities that they love. Local gyms, swimming pools and leisure centres are open for business, and team sports are still able to be played, but with adult indoor sports sticking to the ‘rule of six’.
Castle Point MP Rebecca Harris said:
“The balance of keeping people safe but allowing them to enjoy the benefits that being active brings is vital, and I am proud of the work so many of our local providers like Benfleet Running Club and Benfleet Vikings RFC, to name a few, are doing to support activity while keeping people safe.
I really encourage people to do what they can to get or stay active over the coming weeks. Many of us know how much it helps our physical and mental wellbeing, and being active will be really important for each of us as we support ourselves and each other through the autumn and winter months.”
Over the course of the lockdown period, Sport England has conducted nationwide research to gain an insight into activity levels and attitudes towards being active up and down England, and close to 70% of people say they have used being active to help manage their mental health. However, they are still concerned about recent drop-offs in activity levels and will be doing everything they can to support our communities to get more active.
People can access a host of free workouts for all ages and abilities on Sport England’s Join the Movement website at:
https://www.sportengland.org/jointhemovement
Sport England Chief Executive, Tim Hollingsworth said:
“Being active is a vital tool to help us cope mentally with the challenges the months ahead will bring and physically to be fitter and healthier, to boost our immunity and to ward off illness.
“We know that people face real challenges right now in their daily lives, whether that’s anxiety about the virus itself, financial concerns or uncertainty about what is or isn’t allowed. Our message is that there has never been a more important time to take some time to be physically active. That might be using your local gym, which will have strict protocols in place to ensure safety, playing football within the regulations or just going for a walk – it all counts.
“We’ve got loads of great resources to help on the Sport England website including tips on how to get started.
