Children '˜hit the gym' during school lunch

Fitness and fun don’t often go together for a generation which finds it hard to separate themselves from their smartphones and tablets, but nobody has told the pupils at Heritage Park Primary in Park Farm Way, Park Farm, Stanground.

The children can’t wait for lessons to end so they can hop onto their new outdoor fitness equipment which has been installed at a cost of £10,500.

The excited pupils even feel that lunchtime is “really fun now.”

Lillie-Mai Canty (9) said: “It’s so good we can have fun at the same time as being fit.”

Leo Roberts (9) said: “Our new gym equipment is amazing! And I still can’t decide which one is my favourite.”

Florence-Lily Gardner (9) said: “My favourite piece of equipment is the air walker because it feels like I’m walking in space.”

Equipment includes a cross rider - which is described as being like a cross trainer - and cardio boxes which can be used as steps to go up and down on.

Only pupils who are aged seven and above can use the fitness kit, with adults banned from joining in.

Heritage Park headteacher Karen Hepworth-Lavery said the idea for the ‘outdoor gym’ came from seeing something similar being used at another school.

She said: “It’s come out of our sport programme grant. It was not enough money but the Friends of Heritage Park had a Summer fête and Christmas bazaar which made up the shortfall.

“It’s a whole outdoor gym with eight pieces of equipment and 14 children can use it at any one time.

“The idea was for the children to use it at lunchtime.

“It’s a dumbed down adults gym for Key Stage 2 children.”

The fitness equipment was fitted at the school during half-term and the excited children finally got to try it out last Thursday.

It is placed in the school field and underneath it is a special surface which means that pupils who fall off will not hurt themselves.

However, for children who prefer more traditional lunchtime fun then other play equipment is still available for them to use.

Karen added: “The parents were keen for it and the children were so excited when they saw it. They were wondering who was going to be the first class to use it.

“There are already quite a lot of things here but it’s just something else they can do.

“It’s another option but they do not have to do it. For those that want to use it, it’s there.

“They did not have anything like this when I was a kid!”