Its raining outside so it must be that time of year again, we have been to the summer fete, sports day is next week, and the gym is getting quieter – it can mean only one thing the summer holidays are upon us Ahhhhhh!!!
Sometimes the thought gives me chills! I have a business to run, a house to keep, clients to inspire and my own fitness to look after! Enough of a challenge, without filling the next 6 weeks with fun and entertainment!
But to be honest I cannot wait! I love the time spent with them, the easiness of lazy mornings and the hanging out at the parks on the long sunny (please lord!) afternoons. It’s a great time to wind down, take it easy and build the memories that will keep me warm in old age.
But if like so many of the mums I work with the holidays are a time when you unable to fit your gym trips or bootcamps into the schedule then you need a FAST Plan!!!!
The next 6-8 weeks needn’t be a slow decline into the depths of toxic hell, it can be a chance to get you and the kids healthy and fit!!
As with so many things planning, consistency and commitment are key!
Get up half an hour earlier and fit your workout in!
My children are more than happy to sit in front of some morning TV whilst I jump about and get a metabolic workout in that I know will have my body burning calories for the rest of the day. Keep them short and sweet 20 minutes of focused work is enough.
It’s a great way to start the day and means you’ll be more focused on your health and fitness goals for the rest of the day, meaning there will be less chance of over eating and making bad choices later on in the day.
In fact during the Easter holidays some of you may have seen this video of my son and nephew getting involved and joining in (notice who sounds the most exhausted – I was shattered and they were still full of beans!)
They loved it and often did the workouts along with me – great fun!
Keep the kids active!
Once they have had their TV time, and you’ve had your workout and flown round the house get outside! (Its easy to get hung up on a clean house being a happy house but your not going to look back on these happy days and wish you’d kept up to date with dusting the silverware – keep to getting the essentials done!!)
Get out on bikes, games down the park – and I don’t mean eye spy, I mean football, tennis, rounders catch anything that’s going to get you ALL moving.
Go for walks, make them fun by setting challenges.
Your children will spend the whole day in front of the Wii, Xbox, TV or Facebook in my teenager’s case if you let them. Take control, get them out for the day!
If its raining then get down to the local swimming baths or book a badminton court at you local leisure centre. And if your house bound for some reason then making up dance routines or playing active games such as musical statues will keep you all moving. (Ok I am not going to continue because when it comes to keeping children amused I am no expert!) The point is planning some active activity EVERY day!
When it come to nutrition the summer is a great time to make healthy fun, get the children to help you pick healthy foods on the weekly shop, buy local and take a trip to the market to see what they think is worthy of a healthy shopping basket.
One of my favourite summer activities is the pick your own farms, the kids love getting stuck in and dirty! It’s a great education for them, a chance to learn about natural foods.
Then once we get home we wash off all the mud and we get busy in the kitchen. Cutting and cooking, making delights like chicken and vegetable kebabs, ratatouille fruit filled ice pops, fruit salads and my kids favourite fruit kebabs – messy and delicious.
The children are much keener to eat veggies they have picked, cleaned, cut and cooked themselves than those that just appear on the plate from nowhere.
Go for a picnic, pack healthy snacks and treats, making sure you have plenty of healthy options for yourself to keep the naughty nibbles at bay! Try to pick a location that is a walk away and take a cricket set or bat and ball for that after lunch activity!
You can have mini sports days with all sorts of fun races, there’s nothing like a good sprint to get the metabolism fired up.
So there are a few ideas to keep you and the kids healthy and active during the holidays.
The most important thing is enjoy the holidays, get organised and get your workout done first thing in the morning so you are ready for the rest of the day. And when the children are tucked up in bed exhausted you can an early night and rejuvenate ready for the next day!
Have a great summer!
