DofE Bronze Physical Element if not sporty

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DS1 is doing his Bronze DofE. He has the volunteer/skill/expedition elements sorted, but is struggling with the physical. Most of the other boys in his school are using weekend sports clubs (football, rugby) for the physical element, but he is not at all sporty and has never done weekend clubs, etc. He has swimming lessons once a week, but is the level below pre-club so only does 0.5 hour rather than the 1 hour per week needed.

He intended to do walking, but when I spoke to him, he admitted he doesn’t think he is going to be motivated enough to do that consistently each week for the 3 months required. I was concerned about the physical element when he signed up as he is struggling with his weight and motivation to be more active. I would much prefer he did something structured, a class or course, but neither of us knows what the best option is.

Does/did anyone have an unsporty DC in a similar position and what did they do for the physical element?

I would also second the parkrun suggestion. He doesn't have to run it. He could walk it or do a run-walk combo. The good thing about parkrun is that it might be motivating for him to see his times come down over the 12 weeks and he might even end up keeping it up.

Non sporty daughter goes to the gym once a week for an hour ... she leaves on the dot once the hour is up .

Just needed an induction and gym manager okayed it ... said that quite a few students use the gym for their physical .

Park run? He can start off walking - that will take nearly an hour. Then add in another session during the week of jog/walk ( look at couch to 5 k app also) He can see his times coming down. Also use Strava to show his other walk/ jogs.

My non-sporty DS tolerates climbing and tennis - he is happier with individual rather than team sports.

However, if your DS’s weight and fitness are an issue he will find the expedition really quite gruelling. If I were him I would revisit the original idea of walking as it would help build up stamina for that.

DS started martial arts and is still doing it at 16. He never liked team sports or running.

Half hour session lesson week then he could do a fortnightly hour swim at a general public session to make up the rest (make sure someone at the pool can sign sheet/write a short assessment report for it).

My DS did walking but did a full day up 'proper' hills once a month with his dad rather than an hour a week. You just need some photos and someone suitable e.g. family friend who will be the assessor for it.

Why did he sign up? He must have known he'd need to do a physical element.

If he struggles that much with exercise, how will he manage the expedition?

Parkrun plus another run/walk every week would be good and the fitness will help with the expedition too. As others have said, fine to walk some of it initially. Or he could commit to the Couch to 5k app.

How about park run (starts by walking it) but with a family member to go with him each week to help the motivation. Something like that will be easy to show progress as they log your times via a bar code so he'll be able to show improvement from week one to the last.

I would encourage this as if fitness is a problem he is likely to struggle with the expedition where he'll also have to be carrying all his food and equipment. He'll be in a walking group with his peers and will need to keep up with them.

Mine did his bronze during lockdown, and for his physical did Joe Wicks DVDs. For evidence he took a photo of him at the end of each one against the TV, 15 minutes a day and really enjoyed doing them

Just to add that, since the expedition is a team exercise, if he can’t keep up/keep going it is going to annoy the rest of the team as it impacts on how they do (and they might not be particularly kind about telling him). Not in the spirit of DofE, I know, but when they are all tired and hungry tempers can fray. He needs to work on his stamina now if he is not going to let the side down.

Lots of kids do hill walking. Some even do walking. If he makes his goal to increase his fitness levels, endurance or distance - a clearly measurable goal - this would be fine.

TBH, if he is't motivated enough to make a once a week commitment, he shouldn't be doing it.

Swimming for half an hour a week, and go for a walk at the weekend. You could go for a stroll somewhere nice as a family, and that wouldn't make it such an onerous thing for him to motivate himself to do, because you are all doing it.

Has he got a bike?

DD did ice skating. We signed her up for lessons and then she stayed on to skate afterwards. It was great as DD2 could join in too.

I think the people who are saying lack of motivation means he shouldn't do it are missing the point. Something he is signed up to that gives structure will be much easier to stick to than just taking himself off each week.

This is exactly it - it not that he doesn’t want to do it, more that having a structured activity/class makes it much easier than a plan to go for a walk every Sunday afternoon, which is much easier to put off.

All the other sections are absolutely fine - he takes classes that can be used for the skill element and he was already a very committed volunteer pre-DofE and the expedition training is going well. A lot of the others in his year had to scramble to find classes for skills/volunteer places, but had the physical sorted easily because of weekend sports, why should he be considered anymore lacking in motivation than any of his friends? Certainly some of them are doing the bare minimum as a volunteer and as soon as their 3 months is done will be finished, whilst DS is going above and beyond and will remain, just as he did before starting DofE.

We have had a good chat and have a plan. We have found an online class that is run specifically for DofE and he will do that whilst also restarting a walking challenge that he used to participate in to help with his general fitness and stamina.

Thanks everyone for all the suggestions.

If he already likes swimming can’t he do snorkelling or diving lessons or even just lane swim for 30 after his lesson?

My friends son did this - he really liked it.

My ds did running and finished it off with a fun run.

I know you have a plan but I'm also going to mention parkrun. I know an unsporty teen who did his physical activity at parkrun. He walked every week and he ended up really enjoying it and has kept going and started walking more generally too. It was also good training for the expedition.

My DD got the go ahead from the school to do www.hybridcalisthenics.com/ at home with the PE teacher agreeing to verify how much she's progressed over the time and the journal she's keeping on it. She does 20 minutes an evening 5-6 evenings a week.

Parkrun is also good for the volunteer side if anyone who is reading this needs volunteer ideas.

What about the golf range or maybe just walk to or from swimming if close enough.