We caught up with Joe Wicks, aka The Body Coach, to speak about becoming a global sensation with his daily PE lessons, PE with Joe
A few weeks ago, when Joe Wicks (aka the Body Coach) announced that he would be hosting ‘PE with Joe’ – a livestream of half-hour workouts for families to try at home every weekday – it’s fair to say he had no clue of what was to come.
“It’s just been mind-blowing – I had no idea that it was going to be so well received and taken globally in terms of the PR and press. I’ve done interviews with ESPN, CNN… Australian breakfast TV!”
It’s true – PE with Joe has had phenomenal success all over the world, with people getting in touch from the US, Zambia, Morocco, Jamaica, and Namibia to tell him just how much they adore his daily workouts.
“Every country in the world is in the same situation, so many schools are closed, and I think I’ve just done the right thing at the right time.”
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“I’ve been trying to do this for years. It’s not something I’ve just come up with – I’ve been on this mission for a long time, but the fact it’s happening now is wonderful.”
Joe says he’s thrilled that he’s making a difference to so many families lives, particularly those from certain demographics or cultures who have never exercised together before. “For me, it’s a dream come true when I can see and hear that families are uniting like that.”
Better yet, the fitness trainer has also announced that he’ll be donating all profits made from PE with Joe to the NHS, to show his support for those working on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic. So far, he’s raised £80,000, and that total is set to keep growing.
That said – like everyone – even the Body Coach has his limits, and he admits that he’s had times where he’s been exhausted.
“Just the other day, it caught up with me a little bit. I’d been doing Australian breakfast TV, which meant I was up until around half 11, then getting up early in the morning.”
“Now I’ve had a proper night’s sleep, I’m feeling much better. It’s just about getting those early nights – if I can get to bed by 9.30pm, I actually feel fine. It’s very difficult to stay motivated and be energised if I haven’t slept well.”
It’s a good thing, too, given the nation is essentially relying on him to get us moving while we’re all stuck indoors day after day. So, how long does he expect to keep PE with Joe up for?
“Well, I’m at home as well, and I want to offer this service and be there for people – because this situation is pretty stressful. So, I’ll keep doing it for as long as I can and for as long as I need to.”
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“If I need to have a day off here and there, I will. But otherwise, I’ll be there – Monday to Friday, 9am! At the moment I’ve got all the energy for it and I’m really enjoying it. In fact, the half-hour workout is probably my favourite part of the day.”
Of course, as dad to Indie, who’s two, and baby Marley, who was born in December, Joe is also juggling all this with the daily chaos of parenthood. His children are too young to properly understand what’s going on, he says, but they’re keeping up a routine to maintain a sense of normality.
“We have a nice structure. We have breakfast together, I’ll do PE with Joe, then we go for an hour’s walk. We’re just keeping up that routine to make sure Indie is mentally stimulated as well as moving about.”
Joe adds that Indie has been struggling a bit with being indoors – “she just wants to be out exploring!” – and that she’s been getting a bit jealous of her new brother Marley.
“So, we’ve been doing pretend shopping and filling up her shopping basket in the kitchen, and going out in the garden and doing some drawings with chalk. We’re always trying to come up with new ways to keep her entertained.”
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It’s definitely a strange time to be living in, and hopefully it’ll be a once-in-a-lifetime thing for all of us, he says. But once this is all over, he reveals that what he’s most excited about is giving his parents a big hug.
“I’m just so excited to see my mates and my family. It’s so weird not being able to hug anyone and just wave at people from a distance. I’m looking forward to going out for a nice meal, and seeing my mum and dad to have a cuddle.”
In the meantime, you’ll find the Body Coach hosting PE with Joe every weekday from 9am on his YouTube channel, where he’ll be lifting the nation’s (and the world’s) spirits with his brilliant workouts.
“I’m just trying my best. I’m trying to inspire and do what I can, and hopefully it’ll have a long-lasting effect on people.”
Bravo, Joe!
Read More:
- The Best At-Home Workouts to Try Now We’re Stuck Indoors
- COVID-19 and Pregnancy: Guidelines, Questions and Advice
- How to Baby Proof Your Home
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