Get Kids Moving - the intergalactic kids' fitness phenomenon
From a studio in leafy Laleham, Glenn Higgins has entered sci-fi landscapes across the galaxies to motivate children to keep active in a year like no other.
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...
One man set about a mission to Get Kids Moving.
Fast forward three years and countless days in costume, in 2020 Glenn Higgins completed his quest and so much more.
So far, 2021 has continued in a similar vein.
Since Boris Johnson announced the UK's third national lockdown on January 4th, over 525,000 people have turned to the 'Get Kids Moving' YouTube channel in search of fitness motivation for kids.
Whether it be Batman performing 'Bat Blasts', Harry Potter hitting a 'Dobby Crunch' or Supergirl on a 'Super Launch', there's a movie-inspired workout for every youngster.
Up for a workout challenge with Batman?
Up for a workout challenge with Batman?
Get moving with Thor, the lightning God himself
Get moving with Thor, the lightning God himself
Keep fit under the watchful eye of a Jedi Master
Keep fit under the watchful eye of a Jedi Master
Ready for a session with King T'Challa, Black Panther and King of Wakanda?
Ready for a session with King T'Challa, Black Panther and King of Wakanda?
Higgins, a former member of boyband M4, began the channel as a passion project. “I’m a massive geek,” he joked.
“That’s the long and short of it. I’m a huge nerd, massively into Star Wars and Marvel and all of that business.”
When Star Wars: The Last Jedi came out in 2017, Higgins employed media studies skills from an old Brooklands course and incorporated an animated lightsabre into a short YouTube HIIT workout.
Before he knew it, the power of the internet had seen the workouts found by schools in the United States and teachers started to get in touch asking for more.
“Kids went crazy for it,” Glenn remembered. “I had schools sending me pictures of me on a big screen in school halls in America.
"It was just absolutely mental and it was so cool to see. That’s what got me looking at what else I could do.”
Fast forward to 2021 and the channel nears 11 million total video views.
Over the last 12 months, as kids and families faced lockdown at home, the Get Kids Moving workouts have provided respite for many households - the channel's most busy months in direct correlation with the country's moving into and out of lockdowns.
The videos are dynamic, heart-raising and manageable in the most confined of spaces.
“A lot of the response we’ve had from parents is that because the kids aren't being told by a teacher - they are finding more motivation to do it,” Higgins said.
It's an important aspect to the Get Kids Moving mantra. The Youth Sports Trust found last year that 52% of children were staying active in lockdowns either because they were "made to do so" or because "there is nothing else to do".
It's a worrying trend Higgins is aware of - notably Youth Sports Trust also found that at least 1/3 of children had seen an increase in mental health issues resulting from the pandemic.
“The most important aspect of the channel is mentally," he said. "Having that sort of stimulation and a break from home-schooling."
Through children's engagement with the characters, he hopes his videos energise the mind just as much as the body.
"We’ve said recently that our whole channel isn’t about staring into the screen, but jumping into it and becoming that character.”
"It's very important for kids to stay active as much as possible right now because organised sport is non-existent in Manitoba, which is, for the most part, the only physical activity kids get outside of school.
"Glenn Higgins' videos are a success because he incorporates kids' interests as part of his workouts. They can act like their favourite characters!"
"With outside play off limits, I wanted to find a fun way to offer physical breaks in between remote learning lessons. Get Kids Moving has been a lifesaver.
"The kids enjoy following along with their favourite animated characters as they lead them through an exercise routine. The best part is, is that it's not just for kids. I've joined in a few sessions!"
As news of the channel spreads from nation to nation and viewers keep flocking in, the Get Kids Moving scheme is picking up pace.
“I’m just so proud for it to have taken off like that and be a platform for kids to find this magical world I’ve tried to create through fitness,” Glenn said.
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