GYMS and leisure centres will be among the first businesses to reopen from lockdown, said minister for mental health, wellbeing and Welsh language Eluned Morgan.

The health and fitness sector was forced to close along with every other non-essential retailers on December 20, and under Wales' four-level alert system plan, published in December, the sector would be able to reopen when Wales moves into alert level three.

But Ms Morgan said the Welsh Government were "really reluctant" to close down the sector over the winter lockdown due to its physical and mental health benefits.

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“We absolutely recognise the amazing difference that keeping fit can have on someone's mental health,” she said. “That's why we were actually really reluctant to close down gyms and what that's why when we reopen it will be one of the first things that we will try and consider.

“We have a very clear pathway now for what gets reopened and when, so gyms are very much in those early opening areas that we would like to focus on.

“But I would like to encourage people to really start to take up exercise during this time, if you haven't started already. It makes a huge difference - it punctuates your day, it gets you fit, and it gets you into a very different place when it comes to mental health.

“I would encourage people if you haven't done it yet, why not make a late New Year's resolution to start that off, even if it's just 15 minutes a day.

“Now we've relaxed slightly the rules on being able to exercise with somebody from outside your family - one other person during this time - so you are able to do that and so, in particular for young people, I hope that will alleviate the situation of isolation.”