Keep fit in the family

Local experts tell Primary Times how families can get and stay fit for little or no cost in the new year.

As any new parent will recognise, once children arrive in your life, it’s tough to stay in good physical shape with a living to earn, meals to prepare, clothes to wash, or homework to supervise. The gym, the leisure centre and the sports club all offer brilliant ways to keep fit, usually at prices from tens to hundreds of pounds per year. But Gloucestershire fitness professionals point out there are many simple, free ways to keep fit and help build togetherness as a family.

Move More is a Gloucestershire charity that works with primary schools delivering PE and sports programmes, holiday camps and professional development to PE teachers.

Andy Herbert of Move More says, “Families can organise a local walk or a bike ride. Make walks exciting for young children by adding a nature hunt to spot leaves or insects. Children always enjoy it more if you arrange that with friends. Rather than watch a film, organise an active play date, with a football or frisbee. Families with older children might want to challenge them with a family run. Gloucestershire has lots of parkruns, some with 2.5k routes for younger children.” When the weather is cold, he says, “Keep sessions as active as possible – the more you move, the less cold you are. There are lots of free resources online: [popular fitness coach] Joe Wickes’ Youtube channel is good. And many sports clubs, including martial arts, allow you to attend on a drop-in basis.” (See also Samurai Martial Arts, below).

Luke Norman, a coach at Cheltenham Town Football Club, suggests family sessions offering the children a say in what they do. “Organise a session with four activities each lasting 15 to 20 minutes,” he says. “Each family member chooses an activity you all take part in, perhaps running, football, sprinting, and you’re on a timer.”

He says countering negative stereotypes and mental training is important. “It’s easy to say you can’t do this today because you don’t feel like it,” says Luke. “Develop a mentality: be positive all the time about physical fitness.”

lukenormansports.co.uk

Move-more.org

parkrun.org.uk

Joe Wicks youtube.com/c/ TheBodyCoachTV/videos

Show and yell with Strike A Light

Young people in Gloucester aged 7 to 18 can now join weekly, dynamic, high quality youth theatre and dance sessions run by locally-based performing arts charity Strike A Light.

By taking part in the groups, young people can develop new skills, get opportunities to perform live, see touring shows and create their own performances. It’s also a fantastic way to make new friends and build confidence.

The Youth Theatre and Dance companies are led by highly-skilled professional dancers, actors and practitioners. There are dedicated groups for ages 7-11, 11-15 and 15-18 – all working alongside Strike A Light’s programme of amazing live events.

The group is one of the leading arts organisations in the South West, known for putting on exciting, high-energy, contemporary events in Gloucester, from Krump dance shows to beatbox plays to Gloucester Rooftop Festival. The charity regularly works with major organisations such as the National Theatre and Bristol Old Vic.

The youth theatre and dance groups are friendly, inclusive and welcoming – perfect for total newcomers or those who want to take their skills to the next level. There are free places available for anyone who might need them.

Ffi and to register for next term: Strike A Light

E: charlene@strikealightfestival. org.uk W: strikealight.org.uk Advertising feature

Confidence through karate

Making friends and bringing communities together through the practice of karate is the main focus of Samurai Martial Arts (SMA). This year the club celebrates 20 years of teaching karate to the communities of Gloucester, Cheltenham and surrounding areas. By combining Japanese etiquette and discipline with the British sense of fair play SMA has helped many of its members achieve their personal goals.

In June 2001, SMA founder Brian Jarvis opened clubs at Sir Thomas Rich’s High School, Gloucester, and at St. Benedict’s High School, Cheltenham, the latter of which now thrives at the town’s Springbank Community Resource Centre, where it has operated for the past 10 years. Elsewhere, SMA has opened clubs in Kingsway and Quedgeley, Gloucester, and in Tewkesbury and Ross on Wye.

During this time, the club has taught thousands of students of all ages, many of whom achieved black belt and beyond, attending national and international competitions and securing English and British titles. The school has sent teams to Mexico, Canada and Japan, securing medals and creating life-long friendships all over the world.

The club provides age-appropriate classes to children of all ages, teens and adults. Through long term practice it sees shy and timid pupils grow in self-confidence as their technical ability and skill improves. Class members learn to understand their own strengths and weaknesses through regular training and healthy competition, and are better able to handle nerves both in and outside the dojo, or training hall. Free trial classes are available at all SMA venues.

Ffi: Samurai Martial Arts

T: 07971 584901 W: www. samurai-martialarts.co.uk