Children and young people can access free fitness classes in Harrogate and Knaresborough this month.
The move comes after North Yorkshire Council said this week it hopes to encourage young people to “get active” following statistics released by Sport England.
In a press release, the council said the data showed 2.2 million young people do less than 30 minutes of physical activity per day.
To tackle the problem locally, the authority is offering free fitness classes throughout May at the two Brimhams Active-run leisure centres, which reopened last year following a multi-million-pound revamp.
Children aged six to 12 can take advantage of the offer.
The council’s corporate director for community development, Nic Harne, said:
“We have a wide range of programmes and activities for children in all our leisure centres as we foster increased participation which is not only good for their health and wellbeing but encourages social activities too.
“Those classes range from our learn to swim programmes and junior gym sessions to our new music classes in Harrogate and Knaresborough.
“We also have a range of local sports clubs that deliver variety of sports and fun sessions in our swimming pools and sports halls.”
The council said the ‘Born to Move’ classes will offer sessions merging movement and play to “experience the joy and vitality of moving to music”.
One of the teachers, Zoe Murray, added:
“These are really great classes for getting young people into a group exercise environment and feeling really comfortable with it at a young age. All the kids have a great time.”
The offer is free throughout May and sessions will cost £5 thereafter. Born to Move classes will be broken down by age groups.
Sessions will be held on Fridays at 5pm in Harrogate and 10.30am on Saturdays in Knaresborough.
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