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CHRIS KYRIACOU – FITNESS EXPERT & NUTRITIONIST
Chris has been a qualified personal trainer and nutritionist for the last 8 years.
Family health, fitness and exercise is something that everyone strives for but many families fall short. This blog is dedicated to the busy scheduled parents, carers, guardians and loved ones that somehow manage to deal with the daily stresses of life while simultaneously looking after a family. From cooking dinner to running errands. Washing plates to reading bedtime stories. Managing bills to helping with homework. There never seems to be enough time in the day, and sometimes unfortunately fitness and health takes a back seat. However, there are so many physical and mental benefits that different types of exercises have, not only for the family – but for oneself. So below is a list of some fun, creative and possibly least time-consuming ideas that can get the whole family involved and healthy.
Family Hikes / Bike Rides
Not only is it one of the cheapest ideas in this list, but with the ever-present cycle lanes and endless walking routes, family hikes and bikes rides are a fun way to get the whole family out for a couple of hours and enjoy the fresh air.
Online Workouts
Technology and devices play a big role today. From playing consoles, being on tablets and looking at phones. So why not use thirty minutes to an hour of your free time a couple of times a week to participate in a workout together as a family. This could be anything from performing free HITT classes on YouTube, practising yoga together through apps, or following your favourite fitness professionals such as Joe Wicks. The best part is you don’t even need to leave your house and all the material can be found on any device.
Playing Games
Keeping within technology, games that make you sing and dance help to keep the body moving while having fun at the same time. Other games replicate sports such as boxing, athletics and tennis. Playing games is also a great alternative when the weather is looking bleak, but you still want to find the time to burn some calories without even realising it.
Gardening
Not all chores have to be boring! Planting flowers or growing fruit and veg can be a healthy active pastime that you can do as a family. Not only can it get addictive to watch your tomato grow, but you get to eat your rewards at the end. It’s also a hobby that needs to be kept up daily and digging up soil or tearing up roots can be what kids love to do – getting messy.
Weekend Plans
Once or twice a week the family can take part in physical activities that are available for all ages. Examples are swimming or going to the park and taking a ball or a frisbee. Looking up obstacle courses like Go Ape or even rock climbing or trampolining.
Overall health and fitness are vital for our physical and mental health, and this list is just some ideas that you can do at home or outside as a family to stay healthy together in a sustainable way and to have fun while doing so.