Seems like Covid has helped us all catch the fitness bug

Ihated PE at school. Running around a red blaes pitch in the drizzle, hitting each other’s shins with hockey sticks, was a special kind of hell.

We were lucky enough to have a swimming pool but, unluckily, it was freezing and full of spiders. And being forced to wear a regulation purple swimming cap, which I was convinced made me look like a matchstick, added to the misery.

I wasn’t alone in this hatred of sports lessons. In fact, one girl in my year made a few bob forging parental consent letters, asking to be excused from class.

I can’t help thinking that if we’d had a PE teacher like this week’s cover star Joe Wicks, it would have been a different story.

Joe has earned national treasure status thanks to his online fitness classes for children. His daily Youtube sessions have attracted more than 50 million views, and counting.they’ve been a godsend for mums everywhere.

It seems Joe had the right idea at the right time, because the lockdown has had a curious effect on us all.

When Boris first told us to Stay At Home, I rushed out and bought my first bike in 20 years. Halfords report bike sales have doubled, while 72% of Scots are walking more. Whether it’s a new sense of mortality in the wake of a deadly virus rampaging across the globe or simply the need to be doing “something”, more of us are turning to exercise. In this week’s health (pages 26&27) we look at this fitness legacy and get tips from the experts on the best online classes to keep you in shape. If anything good can come from this situation, let it be a brighter, fitter future for us all.