Bristol research finds families can’t exercise together

Families rarely take part in exercise together due to the demands placed on their time.

A study lead by Professor Janice Thomson and colleagues at the University of Bristol looked at how physical activity fitted into family life.

Though parents interviewed for the study rated family participation in physical activity as important and good for parent-child relationships, most said that they rarely exercised as a family because of busy lifestyles, school schedules, bad weather, lack of access to facilities and money.

Professor of Public Health Nutrition, Janice Thompson, said: “Despite the many benefits of regular physical activity, the majority of children and adults living in westernised countries such as the UK and the USA do not meet current recommendations for physical activity.”

Dr Russ Jago, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Exercise, Nutrition and Health Sciences highlighted the need to accommodate  family exercise opportunities by taking into consideration the demands placed on different family structures.

He said: “Family-based interventions might be more effective if they are designed to accommodate the complex demands and needs of two-parent and single-parent families and provide affordable, diverse activities appealing to a wide range of interests.”