Launch Of The UK's First Dedicated Health & Fitness Channel

by Medical News Today (Online Resource)

The fight against obesity has stepped up a gear with the launch of the UK's first dedicated health and fitness channel bringing exercise classes into the nation's living rooms.

Fitness TV, which launched this week (4th August 2009), will feature an ever-changing timetable of workouts from some of the country's top instructors, as well as general programmes offering health and nutrition tips.

Aimed at everyone from businessmen and busy working mums to children and pensioners, the channel's bosses hope to drive down obesity by removing the excuses often given for not taking regular exercise.

Founder Luan Underwood, a former personal trainer and mother-of-two, said: "We know that many people would love to exercise more, but find it too hard to fit a run or a visit to the gym into their schedules.

"With Fitness TV, they can squeeze in a session at a time to suit them, and because the classes are constantly being updated, they'll be more motivated to stick to them than they would an exercise DVD."

Instructors on the new channel will include Pierre Pozzuto, who has worked with Keira Knightley, Christian Slater and keen marathon runner Gordon Ramsey, champion kickboxer Sy Chenh and Elise Lindsay, personal trainer to Coleen Rooney.

The channel, which is available on Sky TV channel 282 and online at http://www.fitness.tv, will feature everything from fat-burning cardio workouts to resistance training, yoga and Pilates.

Children's classes include a mobility and balance workout for pre-schoolers, kids' yoga and street dance for teenagers, while pensioners and the less mobile are offered armchair aerobics.

For the more adventurous, there will be boot camp-style workouts and dance-based exercise sessions, including Latin salsa, Bhangra and 80s disco. There's even a High Heels workout for more glamorous viewers.

Ms Underwood said: "We really do have something for everyone, so there's no excuse for not getting fit."