OLYMPIC gold medal-winning former track and field athlete and dad-of-two Greg Rutherford offers his advice about how to motivate children to be physically active at home...
1. Make it fun:
Nobody likes the idea of being dragged out of bed for a military-style bootcamp in the mornings, especially small children who might not understand the importance of exercise.
“Don’t make it too intense,” warns long jump specialist and record holder Rutherford, who also won Celebrity MasterChef in 2019. “For example, me and the children have been doing regular dance parties in the front room, where we put some upbeat pop music on and just let loose."
With his sons Milo and Rex aged six and three, "the dance moves are questionable to say the least", Rutherford says. "But the boys are moving and they’re enjoying it too. It’s great to see them a bit red-faced and it’s hilariously fun for us parents too.”
2. Find their happy movement:
There are those children that enjoy charging around the room to burn off their excited energy, while others might thrive in a calming yoga session.
“Everyone knows their children best and there’s no one magic way to engage them in exercise,” says Rutherford. “Sport England’s Join The Movement Hub (sportengland.org/jointhemovement) is a really great tool if you’re struggling for inspiration, as there are lots of video workouts you can take part in with the kids that include things like Marvel and Disney characters.
“My kids have really been enjoying the Harry Potter workouts, as they love the fact they can exercise while doing spells with Professor Snape.”
3. Don’t worry if you don’t have outdoor space:
“My youngest son isn’t keen on the cold and it’s been raining non-stop here, so we’ve found that it’s really important to get creative in the house. I get the kids to do some circuits with me in the living room when the weather isn’t great. The moves are modified for kids; it’s movement and activity they can easily follow.”
Rutherford adds that if you only have a small room to play with, you can still get the blood pumping by opting for ‘no space’ movements like body squats and running on the spot.
4. Set a good example:
Kids are much more likely to get on board with an activity session if they can see that mum or dad are excited about throwing on their gym kit too.
“Being involved is really important and, as the parent, you have to show you’re willing to muck in with the activities,” says Rutherford. Crucially though, you shouldn’t see it as a chore. “The joy you get from being silly with your children is wonderful and it’s a great stress-reliever too,” he adds.
5. Bring in rewards:
“We aim for our kids to be active for at least an hour a day,” says Rutherford, adding that it can really help kids to stay on track with their sleep patterns.
“There can be a little bit of bribery sometimes,” he admits. “There are some days where our kids just aren’t in the mood and we’ll say they can have a treat if they take part in their active time.
“Obviously you don’t want to throw sweets at them all the time, moderation is key, but remember that it’s a hard time for children at the moment, so go easy on them if they’re having a bad day.”
6. Split up the active time:
“Activity doesn’t have to all be in one go,” Rutherford says. “You can split it up into little 10 or 15 minute active intervals throughout the day. I find that it breaks up schooling and weekends, [and] gives them a sense of routine during a very unusual time.”
He adds that kids would usually have break times in school, so sticking to some kind of routine with their exercise can help their mental health too. “Anything we can do as parents to keep kids happy and healthy, not just physically but mentally too, is going really going help them stay resilient during this difficult time.”
