Keeping active in lockdown has emerged as one of the great challenges of navigating the dos and don’ts of COVID-19, but one family from Erina is showing the rest of the Coast how it’s done.
Living by the motto that an active life is a happy life, the Greenaway family have been taking on the challenge of staying active and sharing their journey with the rest of the world via social media.
For the past two months sisters Poppy and Cleo, with a bit of help from mum Sarah, have been leading 15 minute, bi-weekly workout sessions on social media.
The workouts are designed for families, with each session incorporating a mixture of stretching, cardio, and strength, all critical elements to a healthy lifestyle.
There also all designed to be suitable for children and people of all fitness levels.
The focus is centred firmly on having fun and keeping healthy, with the quick and simplistic routines made to introduce families to some basic exercises in a safe and controlled environment.
Both Poppy and Cleo have been loving the sessions and sharing their family’s passion for helping people feel good by getting active.
“We love being able to help people get moving and we’ve been so happy that so many people have streamed our classes.
“We’ve even had people joining in from New Zealand and Hong Kong,” Poppy said.
Being 11 and 8-years-old respectively, you’d think leading workout classes for thousands of families would be a bit daunting for Poppy and Cleo but given their upbringing it comes as no surprise to anyone that knows the Greenaway’s.
Health, fitness and confidence have been a huge part of their lives thanks to Sarah.
Sarah is the founder of Lava Tribe, an active wear label made exclusively for girls aged 6 to 16.
And it seems her love of spreading positivity through exercise runs in the family, with Poppy the brains behind the videos.
“We had just started home schooling and we were halfway through the day when Poppy said she needed to get up and move.
“I suggested we do a workout, so we watched a YouTube video and that’s when Poppy came up with the idea that we make our own,” Sarah explained.
The girls have since proven to be fitness video stars in the making with their audience growing exponentially from 2000 viewers in the first week to just around 20,000 by the end of April.
It’s been a proud mum moment for Sarah.
“They’re both doing such a great job and really helping show other kids and families how important keeping active can be,” Sarah said.
“At that age young girls’ bodies are starting to change.
“It’s a turbulent time and they’re very sensitive to what people think, and that was part of the reason we’ve kept the videos short and simple.
“They’re designed to help break down those barriers for girls especially.
“They’re simple, quick and easy – perfect for building confidence and building the foundation for better habits when it comes to exercising,” Sarah said.
The girls agree and they hope Central Coast families will consider tuning into their next session but parents be warned – even though the sessions are kid friendly you’ll still be feeling the burn.
Source:
Email and interview, May 20
Sarah Greenaway, Erina
Reporter: Dilon Luke