Many of us enjoy getting active especially when the weather is good. Below is a fun activity the whole family can get involved in and can be as easy or challenging as you want to make it. Anyone can make their own fitness trail using the space they have available. This can be inside using different rooms or in the garden.

What is a fitness trail?

During a fitness circuit each person moves from one exercise to the next. The time spent at each exercise is short (20 seconds – 1 minute). These are completed quickly to get your heart rate up. People of all ages can take part with the exercises made easier or harder depending on the age of the person and fitness levels.

How to get started

Together it is important to plan the space correctly. If you have access to an outdoor space big enough for all exercises, you can use this and each start at a different point in the circuit. If you want to complete this indoors you can move to a different space such as the living room and corridor to complete different exercises. It is important to walk your children, particularly younger children, through the space to help them plan and complete the exercises safely without banging into furniture etc. This will help younger children develop their special awareness and manage their actions correctly.

Below are a few suggestions of simple exercises that each person can repeat for an agreed amount of time before moving to the next exercise. Encourage children to design their own moves that could be incorporated into the trail. They could make cards or posters explaining each ‘move’ so the whole family can follow and join in.

Remember to start by going over the exercises and taking time in-between each move to slow your breathing before starting the next exercise.

Suggested exercises:

• bunny hops
• jumping jacks
• running on the spot
• hopping on one foot
• line jumps (make a line on the floor and jump side to side over it)
• push ups
• squats