Stay fit these summer holidays

With the December school holidays in full swing it’s the ideal time to get proactive about your family’s fitness and spend some quality outdoor time with the children.

As celebrity and master trainer Sean Pettit said in the latest Fedhealth magazine: “There are many fun ways to get your family moving and excited about being active.”

Exercise should be a part of your daily activities, even more so when you are on holiday.

Toddlers and preschoolers should have two hours of fitness a day.

At this age organised exercise isn’t necessary, active play should do the trick.

From the age of five upwards your children need around an hour a day of exercise, while children in their early teens should do moderate to vigorous exercise for an hour a day, at least three times a week.

If you are staying at home and cannot get outdoors, Pettit recommends buying a motion sensor adaptor for your gaming station, such as the X-Box Kinect, Playstation Move or Wii.

This way the whole family can get involved in dancing, racing or even fitness games.

For holiday or outdoor activities an enthusiastic (read competitive) game of badminton on the grass or volleyball in the pool can be great entertainment and fitness rolled into one.

Plus, a spirited game of Frisbee (easy to pack in your beach bag), or a family game of soccer, are also great activities for children, teens and adults alike.

The aim is to make sure you have age-appropriate sports equipment close at hand: skipping ropes, bicycles and skateboards are all great options.

Fedhealth offers the following fun ideas to keep active this holiday season:

• Take a walk.
• Hit the beach.
• Pack a (healthy) picnic and head for your closest botanical gardens or nature reserve for a hike.
• Go for a swim – (race each other, play Marco Polo, or get the kids to dive in after small swimming toys or even dinky cars).
• Be a tourist in your own town. How much do you know about your area, or surrounding areas, for that matter? You will be amazed at how many activities there are that you simply don’t have an opportunity to normally explore.

“Remember, if the activity isn’t fun, chances are neither you nor the children will enjoy it,” said Fedhealth’s Peter Jordan.