Xercise4Less has today (8 March) kicked off an innovative new programme offering free exercise classes to children across the UK in a bid to tackle the growing epidemic of youth inactivity.

Youth inactivity has regularly been in the spotlight in the last year, with 1 in 5 English primary school children now classed as overweight or obese. Research released from Essex University showed fitness levels among English schoolchildren are lower than ever and still getting worse, while ukactive made major headlines recently with its Generation Inactive report, which showed only half of seven-year-olds are meeting recommended physical activity guidelines of 60 minutes per day.

Eager to get children on their feet and away from computer screens, Xercise4Less will put on free classes for parents and their children aged between three and five across its 35 UK health clubs. Each site will stage four Xercise4Kids sessions per week as part of a £1m investment from the budget operator into the scheme.

The new exercise model was developed by Xercise4Kids co-ordinator Sarah Philp, who wanted to provide parents and children with the opportunity to enjoy exercise together and learn new and exciting ways of being physically active.

The 45-minute classes take both the children and parents on a “storytelling journey” through four different themes; The Underwater Kingdom, Deserted Lands, Jump Around Jungle and The Exceptional Circus. Each class incorporates 4/5 different activities that keep the heart rate high and challenge the major muscle groups, with an emphasis on fun.

“I am delighted to be able to finally reveal the concept we have been working on for the last year,” said Philp, who previously developed a series of fitness-focused pregnancy services for Xercise4Less.

“Xercise4Kids was inspired by the lack of inter-generational activity available in the UK for both parent and child. It eliminates the childcare barrier and also encourages interaction between parent and child as opposed to the current child movement classes offered."

Xercise4Less founder and CEO Jon Wright added that the initiative is intended to reverse the current situation where some children now have lower life expectancies that their parents. He said educating families to the benefits of a healthier, happier lifestyle by getting parents and children to exercise together would go some way towards reversing the worrying trend.

Parents and children can attend Xercise4Kids classes free of charge by registering online or calling their local club. Every eight weeks the theme of the class changes to keep the children and parents engaged. At the end of each eight-week programme, the children are presented with a certificate to document their progression.