We all know that keeping our little angels occupied can be a difficult task at the best of times. As society drifts increasingly towards living our lives online, it can be even harder to convince the techie generation to take advantage of alternative methods of entertainment.
I’m not going to whine on about increasing rates of childhood obesity – that’s another post entirely, haha! That said, we are staging an intervention at Diana’s – it’s time for kids to be active, happy and healthy! To assist with this, we’re opening our doors to the under 15s until 30th April 2016 for free with any Diana’s member!
We’re hoping this will help you turn family time into fitness time and get your kids excited about being active again. We understand that gyms can often feel like adult-only spaces but we’re keen to highlight the importance of family exercise.
By incorporating fitness as a standard family activity, you’re paving the way for your child to build it into their adult lives too, ensuring they are fit and healthy for life!
Burn off that energy!
Studies have shown that adults need on average 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week and that children need even more – up to 60 minutes per day! No wonder they don’t want to go to bed early! Get them using that energy in a productive way.
Family support
Getting the kids involved in family fitness isn’t just about their development – they can be a terrific support system to keep mum and dad on track too. Just try and skip out on an arranged session with the excuse of being too tired and see how it goes down.
Making family exercise a tradition from an early age can also help when your kids hit those straining teenage years. It provides a routine that naturally brings the family together even during that period when they want to be as far away from their embarrassing parents as possible.
Choosing an activity
There are lots of options at the gym – children are welcome to use the swimming pool, squash courts, gym and take part in exercise classes…there’s just so much choice! Here are our favourites to get you started:
A fantastic activity for ages 4+, squash certainly keeps you on your toes and improves your dexterity, coordination and general fitness. We are a Gold Clubmark England Squash Club and PROUD! This means that we have a great reputation for our Squash and Racketball facilities as well as being a hub for S&R tournaments, both national and local…what better place to learn?!
Exercising in water is a fantastic way to get an all over body workout, low impact on your joints and of course great cardio too! Take part in lane swimming, Aqua Zumba classes or even learn to swim for the first time with our Swim School & 1-2-1- lessons…it’s never too late or too early to learn!
Inspiring the next generation of athletes, your little one could be the next Mo Farrah or Jessica Ennis-Hill! We’ll burn off their excess energy in our safe gym environment.
Whatever you choose to do, remember to make it fun and stay safe! It’s easy for children to push themselves too far, particularly when they are enthusiastic and enjoying themselves. Make sure you build in regular breaks and keep hydrated!