Report reveals that parents use avoidance tactics to get them out of physical activity with their kids.

Almost one in six (15%) of parents have pulled a sickie to avoid the parents’ race on sports day, posing a major threat to family life, according to new research published today.

The report has also revealed a plethora of other avoidance tactics, including:

Over half (51%) confess to using the television as an electronic babysitter in order to avoid more strenuous activities. 62% admit that when they take their children out to play, they are more likely to choose parks with cafés or supervised soft play areas where they can sit and rest instead of actively engaging with their children. As well as being too exhausted for play, almost one in five (18%) parents said they found playing with their children boring.

The research, which was carried out by Cannons Health Clubs was commissioned after an increasing number of members told them they didn’t have enough energy to keep up with their kids. The results show a correlation between family playtime and family happiness. It concludes that parents who spend time doing physical activity with children under 10 years old are less likely to feel stressed, more inclined to sleep better and have better behaved children.

Almost half (47%) of the parents questioned for the study say that the daily trials of life leave them too exhausted to play actively with their children. On average, two thirds (64%) of UK parents spend less than an hour each day engaged in energetic activity with their child.

Of the parents interviewed, over a quarter (26%) admitted to spending less than 20 minutes exercising with their children each day. Furthermore, half (51%) of parents exercising for less than 20 minutes described their home life as ‘unhappy’.

In contrast, the report found that of the 36% of parents who spend over an hour every day exercising with their children, over three quarters (79%) described their home life as ‘happy’.

The report also reveals that exercise levels have a significant bearing on parents’ moods towards their children. Of the least active parents, 72% confessed they get irritated by their offspring’s behaviour. In comparison, 65% of parents who spend an hour or more exercising with their children each day said they didn’t often find their child’s behaviour irritating.

Researcher into children's activity and health, Dr Nicky Ridgers from Liverpool John Moores University says; “Parenting is an exhausting task at times, the best solution is to find an activity that all of the family can enjoy and engage in together. Introducing exercise into family life is a great way to motivate parents and teach children that a healthy lifestyle involves a balance between rest and play.

“Very young children have a lot of energy, and they rely on their parents to help them expend it in a positive way. Parents who play with their children are not only being good role models and encouraging a fit and healthy lifestyle, they are also more likely to have a good relationship with their child as spending time together helps the parent/child bonding process.”

Lu Mayes, Personal Trainer & Exercise Co-ordinator for Cannons Health clubs, says: “It’s not surprising that parents who are more physically active are happier with their home life. The more active play they undertake, the fitter they become, increasing their energy levels and releasing endorphins to the brain.

“The ‘Cannons Health Clubs Energy Report’ results show that the majority of parents are stuck in a vicious cycle. Too tired to play with their children they avoid physical activity, decreasing their fitness levels even further so that even doing the basics like getting their children dressed becomes a strenuous chore.”

As a result of the study, Cannons Health Clubs has designed a unique new exercise class for parents and children called Playground Pump. The class uses space hoppers to encourage families to bounce their way to a happier healthier life. For children, the class feels like a game, and for parents, it allows them to return to the playground and feel like a kid again. The class is run to ‘funked up playground music’ and even offers tuck-shop style treats upon completion of each class.

The class has already had a positive effect on families:

Mum of one, Annie Lonie-Lewis says: “Nothing could have prepared me for the shock of parenting, it’s exhausting and ever since my daughter could walk, she’s been running rings round me! I’m sad to say, I have sacrificed my time with her so I could just sit and conserve some energy!

“I heard about the Playground Pump class through a friend, and thought my daughter, Stella, 4, would enjoy it so I went along. I was quite surprised to find that actually I was having fun too. And it really made me think about the amount of exercise we both get. I’ve made a real effort to make us both more active and I feel a million times better for it. She still runs rings round me, but I am starting to catch-up!”

Lu Mayes says: “The best thing about Playground Pump is that it’s fun! It’s a gentle way to introduce exercise into family life. Kids love it because they are just having fun with mum and dad, parents love it because it’s a really great workout!”

Playground Pump classes are being rolled out in Cannons Health Clubs throughout the country.