Between work, school, extracurriculars and chores, taking time out of your schedule to spend quality moments with your kids isn’t easy—never mind finding the time to work out.
Many training facilities have picked up on this problem and now offer group workouts for both parents and kids, specially created to fit with their schedules.
The concept is simple: regular group classes, such as bootcamps or trampoline workouts, are adapted to the needs and strengths of kids from a certain age group, while variations on these exercises are suggested to parents so that they get quality exercise as well. During the class, the parent and child team up to encourage and motivate one another and share pride in each other’s accomplishments. This positive dynamic strengthens not only the body but also the parent-child relationship.
Parent-child classes are offered for kids between the ages of one and twelve, after which the child can join the adult in a regular class. Classes for much younger children (between one and four years old) focus on motor development, and the parent is there mainly to support and guide them.
As parents and kids often partake in separate activities and have a hard time getting their schedules to line up, parent-child workouts allow families to share precious time together every week.
On top of offering quality family time, these training programs greatly contribute to physical fitness in kids (and in parents!), as well as teaching them at a young age to integrate exercise into their day-to-day lives while ensuring they move properly while working out to prevent injury.
The bottom line is that kids learn to enjoy a healthy lifestyle from the get-go!
Neither you or your child needs any sort of athletic skills or training experience before signing up for one of these classes, as they are accessible and open to everybody. Bring a bottle of water, a snack and some motivation, and you’ll be covered!
Most facilities offer eight to ten weekly classes in fall, winter and spring sessions. The ideal time to start a new session is in September, January or April. Start looking into the different classes offered in your area one or two months ahead of time to be sure to get the timeslot that is most convenient for you.
Marie-Claude and her son tried the bootcamp for parents and children at Studio Moov in Boisbriand, a facility that aims to increase access to exercise for the whole family by offering classes to parents and kids together, moms and babies, prenatal classes, and individual courses for children and adults.
Their parent-child classes include the “Tour du Monde de Karibou” for kids from one to four years old and the Bootcamp and Trampo Fit classes for kids four to twelve.
As these types of workouts become more popular, the number of facilities offering them will also increase, In Quebec, for example, Cardio Plein Air offers the Cardio Bambin program in parks around the province. Check to see if facilities near you have anything on offer!
Whether your outfit matches your kid’s is not important. What is important is that your gear be comfortable and that it manage sweat properly—shorts and a dry-fit t-shirt are a great option. As for shoes, choose a training running that supports your feet.
Products wore by Marie-Claude Perron may have become unavailable.
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