When the coronavirus pandemic hit, parents across the globe were left to educate and entertain their kids at home during lockdown. To lend a helping hand, Joe Wicks stepped forward to offer daily PE classes online for free. Now, after thirteen weeks, the trainer is ready to scale things back.
Since late March, Wicks' live fitness classes have appeared on YouTube every weekday at 9am, to help children (and their parents) get moving and settle into a new routine while coping with social distancing restrictions.
"I had the idea for 'PE with Joe' while I was lying in bed at night. I wanted to create a new workout for kids every Monday to Friday, as a way to replace their missed P.E lessons," Wicks told Liz Connor.
"This isn't about getting people lean, it’s about saying, 'Do this today to feel good’. Then, when your kids sit down to do some academic work, they’re energised and mentally prepared for a lesson at home."
Known for his upbeat attitude, distinctive voice, and curly hair, Wicks originally found fame online through his healthy 'Lean in 15' recipes and handy HIIT workouts. Focusing on the mental and physical benefits of exercise, the 33-year-old has always favoured realistic routines and positive mantras over calorie-counting and stepping on the scales.
Having trained to be a PE teacher at St Mary's University before finding success on social media, Wicks seemed to be more than qualified for the role, and to say that his videos have been a success is an understatement.
On April 15th, just a few weeks into the lessons, the personal trainer scooped a Guinness World Record after one of his live streams was watched by almost one million people.
New @GWR 🌏🙏🏼 Thanks to everyone tuning in each day. This is OUR world record 🏆🌏❤️ pic.twitter.com/8uZfz5C8l3
— The Body Coach (@thebodycoach) April 15, 2020
However, despite the undeniable success and heartwarming reactions from families across the UK, Ireland, and beyond, the past few weeks haven't necessarily been easy on the Surrey man.
A father of two himself, Wicks has juggled overnight success - and the global press that came with it - along with parenting his own children through lockdown, and recovering from a fall from his bike that led to surgery.
And although he plans to keep up the PE lessons in the long-term, the trainer admitted in March that he would have to scale the operation back come summertime:
"I've committed to doing this in term-time. If kids are supposed to be in school, then I’ll be their P.E teacher. I’m not going to be able to keep it going through the summer holidays, but I’m still going to dip and out and do my best," he said.
Now, having raised £500,000 for the NHS from the sales of the 'PE with Joe' t-shirts along with the YouTube advertising revenue on all fifty-five workout videos, Joe is ready to do just that.
"I'm not walking away. It's not over. I'm just reducing the timetable to Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday so I can have a little bit of a rest in between," he told his fans on his Instagram stories.
"I think I'll come back with more energy and more motivation and I'll ultimately deliver a better session on those days. I'm not physically drained but, emotionally, I've put in a lot of energy and I think three days is great for moving forward."
Wicks also posted a message to his Instagram grid saying:
"Hello everyone! Just a little update. It's NOT OVER, but this is the last full week of PE with Joe. I’ve loved every minute of it. All 13 weeks of it.
"It’s been so much fun and I’ve laughed so much. I’ve been on a mission to engage children in fitness for 4 years now and have travelled all over the U.K. visiting schools. I feel very proud that I’ve been able to bring so many people together during lockdown.
"We have had almost 70 million views worldwide on the workouts now which is truly mind blowing.
"As of next week, I’ll be running a reduced time table of 3 days per week. I’m going to be doing LIVE workouts Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 9am for everyone.
"Thank you for your support on #pewithjoe and for all your messages of thanks and gratitude. It’s been an incredible journey! Let’s keep going! Lots of love, Joe."
