Swimming & cycling how often do your u12s go?

[Mammytothreelo]

Just pondering... My three do a half hour group lesson once a week in the local leisure centre pool... Cycling more sporadic maybe once a fortnight round the park for an hour... How do your family compare?
Really want to up this, swimming & cycling are two v important skills imo especially swimming..

Could yours cycle to school that a good way to get more exercise in? Ours cycle to school every day it's a couple of miles. And we go family swimming most weekends for about an hour.

Same. DD1 (10) has an hour lesson a week. DD2 (8) has a half hour one. We have bikes but only go out a handful of times a year, but we are in the process of upgrading them so we can go out regularly.

Swimming 3-4 times per week but we have membership as a family to a local pool so it’s social with their friends.

Cycling most weeks, either to friends houses or out with us. As long as we do it to somewhere they can have food they’re happy to go.

We tend to cycle to places, I'd find round the park pretty dull! Might be easier to fit it in if you do that?

DS is 3 and I have his bike connected to mine if we're on a road, but we're lucky to live near to a canal with a good cycle path where he can ride independently. Probably out 2-3 times a week in the summer, down to roughly once a week (weather dependent) now.

Swimming he has a half hour lesson once a week and maybe once a month we go to one of those family fun sessions?

Not enough. Swimming provision locally is dire.

Cycling when have time at weekends. Live too close to school to cycle there.

We live directly beside the school so no need to cycle.. It's something that's been playing on my mind alot lately! My niece (18)went to Greece with friends this summer, they cycled around the islands & swam in the sea most days... My sil was very unperturbed as my niece was always very outdoorsy & also attended a private school with a pool & swimming was built into the curriculum, they also went on lots of holidays where most of time was spent in the pool... I would be petrified for my three at the rate they're going, we need to up our game!

My DCs swim every week in lessons and we sporadically go for fun sessions at weekends/ holidays.

Cycling is pretty rare. DS11 is dyspraxic and while he can ride a bike, he hates it, so it's rarely a jolly family experience. DS2 is more willing.

We do running most weeks at a parkrun, either 2k or 5k.

I couldn't swim until 16 but can swim at least a mile after going to adult lessons for a year.

I got the hang of a bike at 19. I could practice and build up to cycling around an island if I wanted.

Sometimes it's more what you want to do rather than cracking it in childhood. That said, I've made sure my DCs have at least basic competency because there were times that I missed out in the teenage years and I did feel the lack of "basic" skills before being old enough to decide to learn for myself.

I think it's the family's lifestyle as well, my bro & sil are much more outdoorsy than us & the children are more athletic...

Usually we go cycling once a week or two starting from when it gets warm after Easter. Often a 3 hour ride, although DH will take DS (dyspraxia, the only sport he will do) on a longer trip if DD refuses to go.
Swimming depends on the weather. We only go outdoors, so it has to be warm enough. Then once a week during term, most days during the summer holidays if it's nice weather and we're home. DS can manage a length with a few breaks, doubt he will ever improve tbh. Needs constant surveillance in water. DD can swim several lengths with proper strokes. Neither have lessons any more.
Cycling lost out to stand up paddling this summer though. We've barely been at all.

6 months of the year they swim daily really, sometimes a little less, sometimes more! We are lucky though, my parents have a pool and we live near lots of beaches. This time of year is probably just weekly. We tend to go to the local pool at the weekend, and if the weather is ok we may have a sea swim as well.

Cycling, less, probably once a week/fortnight? We do walk to school though, although it is quite close.

Under 12 we used to swim a couple of times a month at the pool plus several times a week in the sea in summer. Also used to cycle to primary school most days. Since starting secondary bikes are rarely being used though the 16 year old sometimes uses hers to get to work. And swimming in winter is too expensive post covid 😕

My boys are swimmers so eldest DS13 swims 13 hours/week plus competitions some weekends. DS11 trains 11.5 hours/week plus competitions. We used to cycle a couple of hours each weekend and still try to ad hoc in the summer (they used to attend a local cycle club once a week) but the swimming has taken over our lives! 🙄

Swimming once a week, cycling almost never. I don't have a bike so it's not something kids tend to do

The replies are very interesting, swimming seems to be getting harder to access.

My child is 9
Does swimming class every week.
She likes to go swimming so we try to go other times as well but depends really. Maybe once a month, on average?
Bike riding is way less and if we go out on it it's often just round the estate type thing. But she's more likely to want to go swimming than on a bike ride. I'd have to make the decision to go on one myself and make her go if we're going on a proper one. And I don't like going on the roads. And I don't drive so you can't pop the bikes on the car and go somewhere really good for one.

Mine are both club swimmers - at 12 they were training 5-6 times per week.

Swimming seems to be all or nothing... you can join a club and be there constantly. Or, you can try to go in the handful of free times a pool has (There is one "family swim" ie not adults only not in school time a week here. After school its lessons then adults only then Club. Club sessions/lessons on a Saturday. Then lessons followed Family swim on a Sunday for one hour... if there is a lifeguard. )

Ds8 swims once a week, dd12 twice - though they could both do more. They do parkrun/cross country too when they can be bothered. Dd getting harder to motivate as she gets older.

Bikes are a bit of a no go here - neither can ride which is something we need to change.

Exercise for the 10+ age group if they are not competitive sports players seems to be hard work!

Yes it really does! Mine aren't involved in competitive sports but dd1 has asked to try hockey out after Christmas

My 11 year old cycles to school every day (except in winter when there's snow) and to her weekend activities, to the library if she wants books, to visit friends - she cycles a lot basically, helps that I don't drive so she can't ask me for a lift places!. Swimming is just occasional though as its a bit too pricy to be a regular activity.