No matter how old you are, introducing regular physical activity into your daily life can improve your overall health, ease stress and improve sleep!  

The NHS recommends:

• young people aged between five and 18 should do 60 minutes of physical activity each day
• children under the age of five should do three hours of activity a day

If you are new to exercising, the NHS choices website has a digital Fitness Studio with some helpful instructor led videos, covering aerobics, strength and resistance, pilates, and yoga.

The NHS website also has a BMI (body mass index) calculator which can help you find out if you're a healthy weight. You can also use it to check your child's BMI.

Don't forget to always consult your GP or healthcare professional before beginning any exercise or diet programme.

Join our online activities - Healthy Lifestyles Programme

The Holiday Activity and Food (HAF) Programme is free to children and young people who live or go to school in Barking and Dagenham and are eligible for benefit-related free school meals, with paid places available for everyone. This programme is Funded by the Department of Education.

Free holiday activities

You could also participate in Street Tag which allows residents to record their distance walked, ran or cycled by scanning virtual tags with their smartphone at various locations. 

Work as a team or on your own to cover the miles and miles across the borough walking to school and work or going to the park as a family, gaining points along the way, climbing up the leaderboard to win prizes.

You can also receive bonus points by borrowing a book from one of the boroughs libraries, or by visiting installations during different arts festivals throughout the year.

There are a number of clubs that residents from Barking and Dagenham can join:

• Barking and Dagenham aquatics
• Barking and Dagenham canoe club
• Barking cricket club
• Barking and Dagenham junior park run 
• Barking road runners
• Barking rugby club
• Dagenham rugby club
• East London JKA karate
• Goresbrook cricket club
• Make it happem - RDF Sports
• M & B rugby club
• Park run
• Romford hockey club
• We can do it club

Child and Family Centre

79 Axe Street, Barking IG11 7LZ

0300 300 1751

0208 911 3740

childandfamilydoctors@nhs.net

NHS - Child and Family Doctors Surgery

Broad Street Medical Centre

020 8596 4400

Morland Road, Dagenham RM10 9HU

jo.redgrave@nhs.net

NHS - Broad Street Medical Centre

Chadwell Heath Health Centre

Ashton Gardens, Romford RM6 6RT

020 3644 2500

susan.robinson@nhs.net

Church Elm Lane Health Centre

Church Elm Lane, Dagenham RM10 9RR

020 8465 3000

NHS - Church Elm Lane Health Centre

Five Elms Health Centre

Five Elms Road, Dagenham RM9 5TT

020 3644 2250

Five Elms Health Centre

Julia Engwell Health Centre

Woodward Road, Dagenham RM9 4SR

020 8276 7200

Marks Gate Clinic

Lawn Farm Grove, Romford RM6 5LL

020 8465 3460

Marks Gate Clinic

Orchard Health Centre

Gascoigne Road, Barking IG11 7RS

020 3644 2172

Oxlow Lane Health Centre

281 Oxlow Lane, Dagenham RM10 7YU

020 3644 2900

Porters Avenue Health Centre

234 Porters Avenue, Dagenham RM8 2EQ

020 8522 9800

Porters Avenue Health Centre

Thames View Clinic

Bastable Avenue, Barking IG11 0LG

020 3644 2676

Thames View Clinic

Upney Lane Walk-In Centre

Vicarage Drive, Barking IG11 7NR

020 3644 2020

NHS Choices is the online front door to the NHS. It is the country’s biggest health website and gives all the information you need to make choices about your health.

NHS Choices

Come Correct Scheme

The Come Correct (or CCard) scheme provides access to free condoms and emergency hormonal contraception and support and advice in a variety of locations displaying the Come Correct logo.

Come Correct Scheme in Barking & Dagenham

Hospitals and clinics

You can get free, accurate and confidential advice or help about your sexual health in Barking and Dagenham, Redbridge, and Havering.

Sexual health services

GPs and pharmacies

All GPs and pharmacists will offer you support and advice on sexual health.

GPs can give you contraception, chlamydia testing and free condoms.

Most pharmacists will be able to give you free emergency contraception and some of them can offer chlamydia testing.

Find your local GP or pharmacy

Family Hubs

NewMe Healthy Lifestyle