Wigan Borough school pupils thrive at Robin Park 'Wellness Workshop'

Wigan Borough school pupils thrive at Robin Park 'Wellness Workshop'

Standish High pupils training at Robin Park Leisure Centre as part of the Wellness Workshop

Youngsters from Wigan Borough schools have been praised for their enthusiasm for fitness after taking part in a special Wellness Workshop at Robin Park Leisure Centre.

A group of 37 pupils from four local primaries and secondaries spent the day getting tips on how to be healthy and active, courtesy of Be Well’s fitness partners Technogym.

There were relay games for younger kids and a training session for high school ages, plus plenty of discussion on ways to improve wellbeing – from the importance of movement to nutrition, breathing and relaxation tips, getting proper sleep, and dealing with worries or low mood.

Councillor Chris Ready, Wigan Council’s cabinet portfolio holder for communities and neighbourhoods, said: “Learning ways to be healthy, happy and active is as important to young people as any school subject.

“Lots of great work goes on in education settings through Wigan Healthy Schools – including activities led by our Be Well teams – but this time it was nice to mix things up and invite some of our young people down to one of our leisure centres for a day of fun and fitness.

“They all had a brilliant time and, more importantly, left with lots of good advice on how to look after themselves physically and mentally.

“I’d like to say a massive thank you to our fabulous partners at Technogym for putting on such a fantastic workshop!”

Sessions took place in Robin Park’s sports hall, while participants also got to take a look at the leisure centre’s recently refurbished gym space.

First up were children from St Mark’s (Newtown) and Marsh Green primary schools, followed in the afternoon by older pupils from St John Fisher (Beech Hill) and Standish High who were given advice on safe exercise techniques, warming up properly and balancing training programmes. They also learned about fuelling their body and mind through healthy nutrition.

Ben Jones, a personal trainer and tutor from Technogym – who supply all seven Be Well leisure centres with the latest fitness equipment – said: “It was a really fun day and I was so impressed by how engaged and enthusiastic all the young people were!

“The Year 5 and Year 6 kids enjoyed taking part in challenges that explored different components of fitness, and we also discussed the importance of other things like social connection and emotions. They were able to come up with lots of fantastic ideas of who they could speak to if they were worried or upset about anything.

“The older group were really keen to talk about exercise and learn more about doing strength training exercises safely. They were also particularly interested to know more about nutrition for performance, when and what to eat, and strategies for improving recovery after training or competition.

“They were a real credit to themselves and their teachers.”

Be Well leisure centre memberships are currently at record levels with more than 18,200 members across seven council-owned sites; Ashton, Hindley, Howe Bridge, Leigh, Robin Park, Standish and Wigan.

And figures show under 16s is the fastest growing age bracket, with junior memberships up around a third in the past 12 months to more than 2,000.

Cllr Ready added: “The trend we’re seeing both here in Wigan Borough and nationally is that younger generations are becoming increasingly more aware of and invested in their health and wellbeing.

“We’re proud that Be Well is playing its part with lots to enjoy at our leisure centres, and we’ve also got some exciting announcements about new activities for young people to come soon – so watch this space!”

For more information on Be Well fitness memberships for people of all ages, visit the Be Well website (external link).