Active Family Month Blogger Fitness Challenge : Week 4 "Splash About"

Week 4 - the final week - of our Mark Warner Family Fitness Challenge was a very busy one all round.....and due to reasons beyond our control - colds, ear infections (yes, in May I know!!), we had to change our plans slightly.

The theme for Week 4 was "splash about" & we had planned to head for a super-duper swimming pool for some fun but in the end we decided to plan a walk along the River Thames, the challenge being to walk as far as & to cross as many bridges as we could.

We started at Tower Bridge, the plan being that each time we came to a bridge, two of us would cross the bridge - and to add a bit of healthy competition to it, we would time ourselves & see who could cross the bridger (there & back the quickest) :)

The bridges....

Tower Bridge

London Bridge

Southwark Bridge

Millennium Bridge

Blackfriars Bridge

Waterloo Bridge

Hungerford Bridge

Westminster Bridge

There are more bridges than you think!

The quickest crossing was in fact Tower Bridge - not sure if that was because it was the first one or  because someone thought it might open up as they were crossing it & so went very fast indeed ;)

London Beach....these shoes were made for walking ;)

We stopped at Borough Market (where else?!) for some lunch supplies and headed in a westerly direction.

It's a great walk, I'd recommend it to those who live in London or, on the other hand, those who have never been simply because it gives you such a great sense of London as a city, from Tower Bridge to Westminster you have some fabulous views of London and also I think a great sense of history as you follow the Thames along, there is so much to look at.

The path is wide enough that you can go at your own pace, children could even use their scooters or bikes....you pass The Shard and get a wonderful view of the City of London, St Paul's Cathedral, the Tate Modern, the London Eye and the Houses of Parliament.

When the tide is out, as it was when we walked along, you can actually go down on the "beach" and wander along & see if you can find any "treasure"....my children loved this part!

There are cafes & various food stops along the way and numerous seats where you just sit & take in the view.

Just before you come to the London Eye, you reach the South Bank....always lots to see here.

Skateboarders & cyclists show off their acrobatic skills & there are some fantastic food stalls.

We finished our walk at Westminster Bridge....we took a couple of hours to do this, although we took our time, you could walk or run it faster though if you chose to do so.

I always love walking along the river, every time you see something new & I love that it gives my children such a fascinating insight & sense of the city that they live in.

We have loved taking part in the Mark Warner Active Family Fitness Month....

it has encouraged us to get out & about, try some new activities & it's just been a huge amount of fun.

It is definitely something we will continue, it's given us some new goals for the summer.

Active Family Month Blogger Fitness Challenge : Week 3 "Get Sporty"

Week 3 of our Active Family Month Blogger Fitness Challenge was "Get Sporty" & so with this in mind, both my children took part in the local Crouch End Fun Run.

They'd never taken part in it before - and nor have we - despite living in the area for years. 

Our Mark Warner Fitness Challenge was the perfect chance to challenge ourselves.

The children raced in age groups & have to run a mile.

So many children took part, some from their schools, it was a great atmosphere

....and medals were won, woo hoo!!

We supported the children during the morning - the adults race is 10K which is somewhat beyond us at the moment but we are very tempted to train and take part next year....

and the children are already definitely keen to take part next year :)

Later that afternoon - full of energy & excitement from the success of the morning - we headed for Hampstead Heath where we all ran & walked our way across the Heath.

I think we may have caught the running bug!!

This month my family & are taking part in the 

Mark Warner "Active Family Month" Blogger Challenge....

we have pledged to participate in one activity per week as a family. 

The Mark Warner campaign is focusing on families to get fit together whilst participating in fun activities.

Active Family Month Blogger Fitness Challenge : Week 2 "Active Playtime"

Week 2 of our Active Family Month Blogger Fitness Challenge saw us attempting a series of circuit training in Highgate Woods....

Highgate Woods is our local woods & I .like to think we know it like the back of our hands.

Challenge 1: a treasure hunt

Challenge 2 : running a circuit of the football pitches....

no mean fit & much harder than it looked, a good incentive to practice & improve though!

Challenge 3 : push ups/pull ups & cycling on the equipment already set up there....

as many as you can do. Only one of us could do pull-ups!

Challenge 4: on your bike, a circuit of the whole wood.

Challenge 5: parents only - how long can you stay on a skateboard? Not long at all apparently ;)

This particular challenge was so much fun & it was fun to be out together, all trying activities that we never normally all do together.

We were all very supportive & encouraging of each other....and the children loved watching their parents trying to outdo each other :)

Bring on the next challenge!!

(unfortunately we arrived at the woods with an uncharged camera & terrible phone reception, hence the lack of photos :( )

This month my family & are taking part in the 

Mark Warner "Active Family Month" Blogger Challenge....

we have pledged to participate in one activity per week as a family. 

The Mark Warner campaign is focusing on families to get fit together whilst participating in fun activities.

Active Family Month Blogger Fitness Challenge : Four Go Cycling in Hyde Park, London

Sunday afternoon found us in London's Hyde Park as part of our May "

"Active Family Month" Blogger Fitness" challenge.

The theme for this week is wheels....so cycling was our unanimous choice.

I've never cycled in central London (but always wanted to) & as Hyde Park is full of cycle lanes, it seemed perfect.

We took my son's bike with us in the back of the car but my husband, daughter & I rented "Barclays Bikes".

This has always seemed such a fun idea & something recommended by friends.

The bikes are available all over London (check their excellent website for all details) & Hyde Park itself has 12 pick-up points for the bikes.

It was a brilliant idea & we can't wait to do it again.

Before we left home, I went online & booked an access code for 3 bikes.

When we got to the park, I entered the debit card that I'd booked with into the card machine at the bike pick-up point & my ticket (with release code) was printed out immediately.

All we had to do then was unlock our bikes - such a simple & quick process

Hyde Park is London's biggest park and on Sundays it's full of people but we had no problem at all cycling around the many cycle paths & were able to go as fast or slow as we wanted.

We cycled round the Park Lane side of the park to Speakers Corner and then back around, ending up in Kensington Park Gardens.

It was a sunny day & the park was full of skaters, cyclists and runners.

We saw baseball, rounders, football & rugby matches going on....

my children absolutely loved it, they now want to go there every Sunday! 

I have grown up in London and love the energy of the city - cycling around the green heart of the city filled me with happiness & pride - and I loved the fact that my children were able to cycle along the wide paths confidently whilst getting a sense of the city at the same time.

There is something about cycling which connects you with your childhood....

it's such a freeing and happy activity....

going out yesterday definitely made me feel I want to do more. 

I can't remember the last time we cycled together as a family & the children loved us all being out together....they can't wait to go again. 

Nor can I, I had forgotten how exhilarating cycling is!

Cost : bike rental £2 per bike for 24hr access (during which time you can use the bikes as many times as you wish) 

 + £6 per bike for the 2 hours that we used them 

(as we were only spending time in the park, 2 hours was perfect - it was both a good work-out & fun).

You can pick up & drop off the bikes wherever you like around the city & if you are only using the bikes for 30 mins or less, it's free.

It's a great way of seeing the city, we will definitely be doing it again & I would recommend it to anyone.

(The bike seats are adjustable & are very sturdy & comfortable.

Bikes can be rented on a casual basis or for as long as you like ie, a week or more, it's totally flexible).  

This month my family & are taking part in the 

Mark Warner "Active Family Month" Blogger Challenge....

we have pledged to participate in one activity per week as a family. 

The Mark Warner campaign is focusing on families to get fit together whilst participating in fun activities.

(all photos my own)