If you’re struggling to find ways to keep your children active (and burn off some excess energy) while we’re locked down, then you’re certainly not alone.
Online fitness community Jemma’s Health Hub found that 57% of mums say they struggle to find healthy activities to do as a family.
But all is not lost. Here’s a round-up of classes that will keep you and your children moving during lockdown 3.0.
Cookercise
Instagram chef and fitness expert Dr Sunni Patel wants to help parents stay sane and healthy with their kids during lockdown, and is offering fitness and cooking combination classes.
Expect to follow a ten-minute plan which combines a cook-a-long with fitness moves such as kneading dough with shadow boxing and squats while picking up ingredients from different levels. At the end you get something delicious and healthy to eat, too.
- Available on: Instagram Live (@dishdashdeets)
- When: Sunday at 11am, starting January 24.
- Price: Free
Find out more at dishdashdeets.com.
PE with Joe Wicks
He kept the nation moving during the first lockdown and now PE saviour Joe Wicks is back with more live sessions during lockdown.
Suitable for children of all ages, heaps of adults have admitted to getting in on the HIIT action with their kids when it launched back in March 2020. T
his time around, Joe will only be doing 20-minute sessions, but as they don’t require any specialist equipment or a large amount of space, they are perfect for most families.
- Available on: YouTube (‘The Body Coach TV’)
- When: Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 9am
- Price: Free
Find out more at thebodycoach.com.
Family Fitness
Nuffield Health’s new online platform hosts a selection of classes suited to family fun. The 30-minute sessions are designed like a game of Simon Says, so each move is numbered and you have to complete that move when PT Panu calls it out.
There are also a few static ‘Panu says’ exercises to keep things interesting, plus some strength building and stability for all fitness levels.
- Available on: Nuffield Health 24/7
- When: On-demand
- Price: Free (for a limited time)
Find out more at 247.nuffieldhealth.com.
Fitin5
Personal Trainer Marvin Ambrosius believes ‘it’s a marathon, not a sprint’ when it comes to your fitness goals and says you don’t need to slog it out for hours.
He offers a range of classes that take just five minutes – great for kids with a short attention span. A combination of HIIT, strength training, combat and martial arts, yoga, mobility flows, pilates and freestyle football.
So you can do just one session, or link several to target different parts of the body.
- Available on: L1ve
- When: On-demand
- Price: Free 14-day trial (then £4.99/month)
Find out more at l1vefit.com.
SPR Juniors (Strong, Powerful, Resilient)
Already used as part of physical education classes in primary schools around the country, SPR Juniors has adapted its PE lessons for children to do at home.
In line with the National Curriculum, classes are ASD (autistic spectrum disorder) friendly and suitable for some SEND (special educational needs and disability) children. Each 30-minute session includes a warm-up and cool down and focuses on plyometrics (fast explosive moves), core coordination, speed and cardio.
- Available on: YouTube (‘SPR Juniors’)
- When: On-demand
- Price: Free
Find out more at sprjuniors.com.
Doonya
Doonya (described as ‘the happy workout’) is a dance-fitness movement that blends Eastern and Western approaches to wellness.
Each 60-minute class sees participants complete Bollywood-inspired moves with a mix of cardio and strength conditioning intervals of varying intensities. Fused with Bollywood-inspired music it’s guaranteed to get all the family moving.
- Available on: ClassPass
- When: Friday at 5pm, Saturday at 7pm, Sunday at 4pm
- Price: £35/month for 25 credits (circa three-seven classes). Doonya is six credits.
Find out more at classpass.com.
Family Funtime Friday
Retroglow Studios is currently hosting a 45min high-energy, dance cardio class that’s done to an Eighties soundtrack.
Dressing up is encouraged (anything goes, so dig out your leg warmers and your kid’s fancy dress costume) and get a sweat-on while performing retro moves like the ‘grapevine’ and the ‘running man’. There’s also a lip sync battle, so get your hairbrush at the ready.
- Available on: Zoom
- When: Friday at 4pm
- Price: £7
Find out more at retroglowstudios.com/timetable.
Kallisto
Aimed at adults, training expert Dr Thomas Falda puts you through your paces in this action-packed 30-minute HIIT session that includes bear crawls, crab walks and scissor kicks – the perfect moves to inspire your kids to join in.
The workout consists of three rounds and you spend a lot of time on all fours, building functional strength, power, and endurance in your lower body and core. It does require a bit of space to complete some of the moves, but it’s suitable for beginners.
- Available on: Freeletics
- When: On-demand
- Price: From £23.49 per month (three- month subscription, access to more than 80 classes a week)
Find out more at freeletics.com.
Niix Squad
Targeting kids from eight and up, Pilates and cardio app Niix is offering 15-minute classes that fuse Pilates with cardio moves, plus mobility and strength exercises for all the family.
Founder Nicki Phillips does the workouts with her two daughters and sessions are a way to blow off some steam and get moving after a long day of home schooling.
- Available on: Instagram Live (@niix.fit)
- When: Monday and Wednesday at 4.30pm
- Price: Free
Find out more via @niix.fit on Instagram.
CariFit Community Class
The perfect workout for new parents, this requires you to strap your baby to your body using a carrier system and simply get moving.
Each 30-minute class consists of cardio and resistance intervals focusing on different areas of the postnatal body.
It’s designed for all stages of postnatal fitness and modifications, progressions and regressions are detailed and coached throughout. Classes are set to a mood-boosting playlist and there is also time set aside afterwards for a Q&A session.
- Available on: YouTube (‘CariFit TV’)
- When: Friday at 10am
- Price: Free
Find out more at carifit.co.uk.
Born To Move
Les Mills, the virtual Netflix-style fitness platform, now offers fun classes for children. Each session is aimed at different age groups (from four to 16-year-olds) and is a high-energy mix of martial arts, dance, strength and cardio moves to get the heart pumping and burn off some energy.
The sessions finish with yoga, mindfulness, stability and coordination exercises. Sessions are so much fun adults won’t be able to resist joining in, too.
- Available on: Les Mills On Demand
- When: On-demand
- Price: Free (30-day trial) then from £11.95/month
Find out more at lesmills.com.
AnimalFu
This is a series of videos that gives three to seven-year-olds an 18-minute workout, while also teaching them about morals and life.
The AnimalFu familyconsists of life-size animals, plus the instructor, and in each session they take it in turns to host the class – one of the animals, the Tiger, is named Boris and wants kids to say no to bullies.
Kids complete a range of exercises such as knee lifts, kicks, lunges and sidesteps to help them build physical fitness, balance, flexibility, stamina and coordination and sessions finish with relaxing Tai Chi. It’s got a very catchy tune and might well get you on your feet to workout, too.
- Available on: Truconnect by TV.Fit app
- When: On-demand
- Price: Free 30-day trial (£9.99 per month thereafter)
Find out more at truconnect.fit.
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