Keeping children on the move in lockdown
We might be a few weeks in but this is still very new for everyone – including the kids! Lockdown life may mean that we’re staying around the house a lot more, but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Yes, there will be tough situations where people are confined by their living spaces or because they have children who need a little bit extra love, care and attention, but we’re here to help you through the weeks ahead.
Remember – if you or anyone that you live with experiences any Covid-19 symptoms, please follow government guidelines.Here’s something to ponder…. If you tell a child to put down their tablet or iPad and get moving, are the children grumpy because they’re having a screen taken away or is it because their body is actually crying out for the benefits of exercise?
Exercising makes the brain release feel-good chemicals called endorphins throughout the body and it is this that makes us feel good about ourselves – and exactly what children and young people need at a time like this.
Getting your one-a-day
Get the trainers on and get out running. Bearing in mind that you can only do this by household, you can still take up running – or get your kids to discover what going out for a jog is like. So many children can run about when they are playing, but they can’t run for any sustained length of time. You can try running one minute on and off, staying local to your area, and work up to a couple of km. Imagine the collective feeling of putting one foot in front of the other and getting that meditative effect as a (small) group.
Muck in
Housework can be really tiring – there’s a lot of bending and stretching and twisting. Get your children involved in taking care of the world around them. There’s no better time to get their buy-in to keeping their home clean – and tidy.
While children can be naturally resistant to housework (aren’t we all), instilling an appreciation of a clean home will stand them in good stead. You can lead from the front and make it fun too, though. Teach children how to tidy by asking them to explore the house for things that are in the wrong place and return them to their homes. They can take responsibility for their own things or take a room each. You can set a time limit – this helps to create a bit of a buzz and get their hearts pumping as they dash up and down stairs (carefully).
This is also a good time to teach children how to hang clothes out. It might seem like nothing, but the bend-and-stretch movement, done with a bit of gusto, is very Joe Wicks!
Go Green
There’s no good time for something as brutal as a lockdown, but it has come at a time in the year when it is possible to use whatever outdoor space you have. Digging, raking and brushing are perfect for getting your garden in good shape, but amazing for getting little heart rates up.
Often, when it comes to gardening, we’re trying to fit it in with other things at the weekend and so it’s done without getting the children involved as much as they could do.
If you can, help them to clear a patch of soil and pop whatever seeds you have in. Not only can they grow what they eat, but it gives them a sense of ownership over their own little space.
Remember not to burn your garden waste – we need to keep our air clear for those who might be struggling to breathe.
Stretch yourself
If you are limited on space or it’s a rainy day, there’s a lot that you can do in a very small space. There is a great deal of choice when it comes to streaming options, and you can ‘buy-in’ to a package or just find some stretching content that you like and get going.
Another, excellent way to make use of the lockdown days is to get stuck into a plank challenge. If you and your family can do a daily plank, adding a second or two every day, you’ll be super fit by the end of this!