Getting fit

It's fun!

There seems to be a thousand excuses for why people don't keep fit these days - "it's too cold" or "I'm rubbish at sport" - we do realise that running around in the cold and rain or slogging away to the latest celebrity fitness DVD isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea, but keeping fit should be about taking time out and having some fun.

Healthy body, healthy mind

Good for both body and mind, just doing a little bit of activity will help you to feel so much better - and we guarentee that there is a sport out there to suit everyone - you just have to find out what it is!

The government recommends one hour of physical activity a day - that's 2 Friends episodes - easy! It's not as hard as you might think to make up the hour, walking to school and climbing the stairs all counts. So if you team that up with half an hour of playing football with your mates you'll be well on your way to maintaining a healthy body.

Good health is all too easy to take for granted but exercising when you're young is so important - it builds a strong heart, bones and muscles as well as making you look better.

Why not try something new?

Dancing, yoga, swimming, ice skating, martial arts to name just a few - there's so much choice out there, it's easy to find something that suits you.

Want to give it a go?

Sometimes it's not easy to know where you can go to get involved or know what to do. But there are so many opportunities out there, lots of them in your local area, waiting for you to discover them. The hardest part is finding out where they are.

Maybe you are already good at a sport but you're in a new care placement and have to start over. This can be tough but if you enjoy your sport, try to find a new club that you can join. If there is no club in your area for the sport you enjoy, try a different sport that is similar.

Here are some practical ideas about where to start:

Ask your mates

One of the best ways to know what's going on is to ask you mates. Find out what clubs and sports they are into and invite them down to the park to kick a ball around.

Check out the school or local library

Libraries aren't just full of books for school work. They have loads of information about what services are available in your local area.

Look out for posters on the notice boards and leaflets about clubs and sports, especially during the school holidays.

Ask your designated teacher or PE teacher

Your teachers usually know what's going on in your local area. They might know about the local sports clubs and leisure centres or let you know how to get into the school teams. If you want to get into something special, they can find out for you.

Find out for yourself

The Active Places website has details of sports facilities near you including swimming pools, health and fitness centres, sports halls, golf courses, turf pitches, ice rinks, ski slopes, athletics tracks and indoor tennis courts.

Ask someone else

Ask your carer, key worker or get in touch yourself with the local council's leisure department or local leisure centre, to find out what activities are happening in your area.

You could also find out about leisure cards, which give discounts on most sports activities.