Bob’s Heroes have healthy fun

As a parent, have you ever worried how to keep your little ones out of mischief during the school holidays?

Last Thursday morning, December 17, the Courier joined Bob’s Heroes Bootcamp to find out how sport and exercise can be made more enjoyable for children, especially with the many digital distractions accessed by children today. Bootcamps offer an interesting alternative to many conventional forms of exercise, said Bob’s Heroes founder, Bob Russell, as the many different activities keep you motivated and focused in ways other means of exercise cannot.

“A lot of people think that adults should be targeted when it comes to exercise, and of course they should, but it has to start with children as many adults have already made their minds up whether they are into fitness or not,” said Russell, who said things such as iPads, laptops and games consoles are increasingly winning the attention of children over running around and playing outside.

“The key is to make exercise fun for kids and to inspire them into a healthy way of life by incorporating their interest in games into exercise.”

Russell and fellow fitness instructor, Natalie Deeb, held a number of December bootcamp sessions for children, who took part in a variety of activities to get them burning energy. From jogging and skipping to pulling car-tyres and playing rounders, the young athletes enjoyed a healthy balance between hard work and play.

A former Sharks fitness instructor, Russell said bootcamps are a great way of keeping people fit and motivated because of it breaks down an individual’s exercise goals into small, achievable targets which are met at the end of each session.

Having completed the Comrades Marathon, Iron Man, the Dusi Canoe Marathon and Ultra Man, Russell is no stranger to the world of fitness, and said that the bootcamp improves stamina while also increasing speed and power.

Exercises such as sprints, tyre pulling, skipping and lifting give the body a total workout, and many of the drills are used by many professional rugby clubs.

“The trick to fitness is the replacement of habit. Add new and healthy habits, like exercise to your daily routine and you will soon find yourself enjoying it more than you thought.”

Bob’s Heroes operate every weekday at Umhlali Preparatory School’s sports field, with future sessions for children in grades R to seven to be held every Monday and Tuesday at 3.30pm when school resumes in January.

Do you want to receive news alerts via WhatsApp? Send us a WhatsApp message with your name and surname to 061 718 4438.

Please read our WhatsApp broadcast list disclaimer.
Join us on BBM at 59015786
Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.