Exercise During School Holidays: A Flexible Weekly Plan

Term time has a rhythm. Drop-off, a class or a walk, work, pick-up. Then half term arrives, or the long summer break, and the rhythm vanishes. The kids are home all day, holiday clubs cost a fortune, and your own training quietly disappears for six weeks. If that keeps happening to you, this guide to exercise during school holidays is your fix. It is built around a flexible weekly template that bends to the chaos instead of breaking.

The aim is not to keep your term-time routine exactly as it was. The aim is to keep the habit alive, keep some strength work going, and get the kids moving too. Then when term starts, you pick up where you left off instead of starting again.

Lower the bar, keep the habit

In term time you might train three times a week. In the holidays, aim for this minimum:

• Two short strength sessions a week (15 to 25 minutes each).
• Something active with the kids on most days.
• One “just for you” session if childcare allows.

That is enough to hold on to most of your fitness through a two-week break or a summer holiday. Anything extra is a bonus.

Exercise during school holidays: the flexible weekly template

Instead of fixed days, use slots. Fill each slot on whatever day it fits that week.

Slot 1: Morning strength before the kids wake (or while they eat breakfast)

A 15-minute session, three rounds:

• Squats: 12
• Push-ups (worktop, knees or floor): 8 to 10
• Reverse lunges: 8 each leg
• Backpack rows: 12
• Plank: 20 to 30 seconds

Holiday mornings are often slower, which makes this one of the easiest times to train.

Slot 2: Strength with the kids involved

Turn the second strength session into a family game. Ideas:

• Exercise dice: roll a dice, each number is a move (1 = squats, 2 = star jumps, and so on). Roll twice for the number of reps.
• Reps for TV adverts: during a family film, everyone does a move in each advert break.
• Kid as coach: let your child time your plank or count your squats. They love being in charge.

My post on exercising with your kids has lots more ways to make this work at different ages.

Slot 3: Active family outings

Use days out as your cardio. A long park walk, a bike ride, a swim or a trip to a hill all count. For ideas near Archway, my guides to half-term activities for active kids and staying active in the summer holidays list local options, many of them free.

Slot 4: Your own session

If you have a partner, a grandparent, a friend or a holiday club for a morning, use it for something that is just for you: a class, a run or a longer workout. Swap childcare with another parent if you can. You take their kids to the park one morning, they take yours the next.

Sample week: a two-week Easter break

• Monday: morning strength (15 minutes), park and scooters in the afternoon
• Tuesday: family bike ride or long walk
• Wednesday: exercise dice session with the kids
• Thursday: your own session while a friend has the kids
• Friday: swimming or a soft play trip, walking there if you can
• Weekend: rest, or a relaxed family walk

Did a day fall apart? Swap slots around. As long as the two strength sessions happen somewhere in the week, you are on track.

Keeping the kids active too

The NHS physical activity guidelines for children and young people recommend that 5 to 18 year olds do an average of at least 60 minutes of moderate or vigorous activity a day across the week. Holidays can go either way: some kids are far more active, others spend most of the day on screens. A few habits help:

• Get outside every day, even for 30 minutes, whatever the weather.
• Agree screen time after, not before, an active bit of the day.
• Give older kids a challenge, like a step target or learning a new skill on a scooter or bike.

Holiday pitfalls to avoid

• The all-or-nothing trap: missing a session does not mean the holiday is a write-off. Do the next one.
• Late nights for everyone: holiday bedtimes slide, and so does your energy. Keep your own bedtime fairly steady.
• Snacking all day: kids at home means snacks within reach. Plan regular meals and keep snacks for set times.

Where a bootcamp class fits in

A class is the perfect “Slot 4” session if you can get cover for an hour. It is planned, it is quick, and you come home feeling like yourself again. After a week of refereeing sibling arguments, the SYP Release stress relief class, with pads and slam balls, is very satisfying. Because classes are pay as you go, you can book only the weeks your childcare allows.

FAQs

How do I exercise during the school holidays with the kids at home?

Train early in the morning, involve the kids in short games-based sessions, and use family days out as your cardio. Two short strength sessions a week is a good minimum.

Will I lose fitness over the summer holidays?

If you stop completely for six weeks, you will lose some. Keeping two short strength sessions a week and staying active with the kids holds on to most of it.

How much exercise do children need in the holidays?

The NHS recommends an average of at least 60 minutes of moderate or vigorous activity a day for 5 to 18 year olds, plus activities that strengthen muscles and bones across the week.

What if I have no childcare at all?

Focus on early-morning sessions and family-based activity. Ten minutes a day still keeps the habit alive.

Book your first class

Got an hour of cover this holiday? Spend it at SYP Bootcamp. Classes are 45 minutes, max 10 people, £15 a class, indoors in a church hall in Archway N19, with an easier and harder option for every exercise. Book my £15 class or call or WhatsApp me on 07301 512215 and I will send you the timetable. If you want a plan that carries you through term time and holidays, you can see how personal training at SYP Fitness works.

About the author

Artem Olekhnovych is a personal trainer in Archway and the founder of SYP Fitness and SYP Bootcamp. He has coached clients in Archway, Highgate and across North London for over 10 years, and runs small-group bootcamp classes for busy mums and dads. Read reviews from his 1-1 clients.