The UK government has got behind Joe Wicks’ latest initiative – Activate – a new animated series of five minute workouts for kids.

Wicks – the PT who became a household name in lockdown for his PE with Joe online family workouts – has collaborated with BAFTA-award winning Studio AKA, of Hey Duggee fame, on his latest campaign to get kids active.

The first five-minute workout in the animated series is now available on YouTube, with more to be released over the summer holidays. Wicks appears as an avatar, squatting and starjumping with five “Activators,” to music supplied by Universal Music UK.

The government has now said it will fund a further 10 episodes and in a show of support Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, joined Wicks for the official launch at Ripple Primary School in Barking, east London yesterday.

Wicks says: “Activate is the natural next step in everything I’ve worked towards over the past decade. From my early YouTube workouts, to PE with Joe during the pandemic, my goal has always been to get children moving and feeling good – physically and mentally.

“This project brings together everything I'm most passionate about and everything I’ve learned on my journey – going back to my own childhood where I discovered movement as a way to cope with the challenges of living with parents with drug addiction and mental health issues.”

Obesity rates have doubled since the 1990s, and now cost the NHS £11.4 billion a year. A forthcoming report by the Chief Medical Officer will show that more than one in five children are living with obesity by the time they leave primary school, rising to almost one in three in areas with higher levels of poverty and deprivation.

The government set out various measures in the recently published 10 Year Health Plan to tackle childhood obesity. It is launching a world-first partnership with food retailers and manufacturers to help families make healthier choices; there are plans to restrict junk food advertising targeted at children and a proposed reform of the soft drinks industry levy to drive reformulation.

The comprehensive spending review also earmarked £400 million to invest on grassroots sports facilities and last week the WorkWell pilot was unveiled, where people will be helped back to work through a number of initiatives including being signposted to gyms rather than automatically receiving a sick note.

“Childhood obesity robs our young people of their future, and inactivity is one of the biggest culprits. That’s why it’s crucial to start building healthy habits from a young age,” said Streeting.

“This [Activate] initiative directly supports our focus on giving children the best start in life – a cornerstone of our Plan for Change. By investing in prevention today, we’re building a healthier generation for tomorrow.”