Exercising together during the coronavirus lockdown is having a significant positive impact on family life, research by the England and Wales Cricket Board has found.
More than half of those surveyed said doing sports and fitness had brought their families closer together, with 53 per cent of parents spending more time doing physical activity with their children than they did prior to the lockdown.
As the nation faces an unprecedented scenario, 61 per cent said playing sport and keeping fit was helping maintain their families’ physical and mental wellbeing, while the same percentage said they were likely to continue exercising together as lockdown measures are eased.
Restrictions have, until this week, seen individuals limited to one piece of exercise outside the home per day, accompanied only by members of their own household.
Families have also been keeping fit together at home, playing sports in gardens or joining virtual classes. The ECB’s survey of adults with children aged between 8-15 also found that a third of parents had more positive views on technology for children because of the role it is playing in helping them stay active.
Alongside the research, the ECB is launching a new Dynamos Cricket app for kids, featuring quizzes, games and skills to practice at home or in parks as restrictions are gradually lifted.
Former England batsman Ian Bell has been using the app with his young family and said: “We’ve tried to be as active as possible with our kids during this period. It has been a challenge but spending quality time with them has been one of the real bright spots. The Dynamos app is a great way for us to keep active as a family and we’ve been having a lot of fun using it.”
