After six months of home-schooling, it is time for the start of the new school year. But getting back into the routine – while adjusting to the “new normal” – might be hard.

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Our health is more vital than ever but with busy days, it can feel difficult to find the time to get moving and eat better.

Yet now is the perfect time to kickstart your family’s healthier lifestyle.

Here, Sun Fitness Editor Jenny Francis has a Back To Fitness timetable to help you fit Dr Zoe’s top tips into your daily routine with little effort.

6.30am: Wakey-wakey

Top tip to make your life easier – whatever time you have to get the kids up for school, make it the same every day. And with not long of the school holidays left, start now to ease them back into the swing of it.

Studies show children respond well to routines, and waking at the same time every day helps you sleep better at night.

Meanwhile, research at the Bronx Lebanon Hospital in New York found children with a structured routine showed a 47-per-cent increase in “social-emotional health” – that’s good emotional and social skills, and can also help their productivity levels throughout the day.

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7:30am: Breakfast like a king

Whether you’re in a rush or not, it’s important to make time for breakfast. Studies have shown those who skip breakfast are more likely to be overweight or obese.

A study by Kellog’s also found a lack of food before school, or only eating very unhealthy food for breakfast, means children arrive unable to concentrate and are more likely to behave badly and lack energy throughout the day.

8:00am: On the (school) run

If school is within a mile of your home, set off together and walk or, if you are a little farther away, cycle together. If your children are young, tandem bikes are a good solution.

If they are too young to walk a full mile, get them a scooter so they can scoot along next to your fast pace.

The NHS recommends children aged five to 18 aim for an average of at least 60 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a day and both walking, cycling and riding a scooter fall into this category.

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12:30pm: Lunchbreak

Whether you are back to work, working from home, or a full-time parent, lunchtime is perfect for getting moving.

A study by psychologists at Stanford University found that regardless of age, people experience immediate benefits in terms of concentration and energy levels following a single bout of moderate exercise – and that working out during the day can be more beneficial than exercising before or after work.

2:45pm: Pick-up

Instead of driving, leave enough time for a walk-run. Set off and jog between the first two lampposts, then walk between the next two, jog between the following two, and so on and so on.

It won’t be as intimidating as jogging the whole way but will massively raise your heart rate, burning calories and improving fitness.

3:15pm: Move together

If the morning didn’t present an opportunity to exercise, straight after school is an ideal time to factor it in. Take your pick from Zoe’s suggestions but give your kids the final say.

Research by The University of Montreal shows children respond well to making their own decisions and are more likely to want to exercise if they’ve chosen the activity themselves.

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4:30pm: Cook up a storm

At least a few times a week, try to get your kids involved in making dinner.
A recent study by the Minnesota Heart Institute Foundation found this will make it more likely your kids will choose healthy foods. Not only that but they’ll be on their feet, rather than sitting in front of the TV.

When it comes to eating dinner, keep the TV off. Research by Liverpool University found people who eat while distracted consume ten per cent more calories at the time, and this makes us more likely to overeat later in the day.

7:30pm: Nighty-night

Just like a regular wake-up time, it is important to get a healthy bedtime routine for children – and adults. Research shows sleep is as important as nutrition and exercise to a healthy lifestyle.

Research at Dalhousie University, in Nova Scotia, found the repercussions of sleep deprivation are visible after only four nights of just an hour less of sleep per night, significantly affecting your body’s ability to burn fat.

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8:30pm: Meal prep

Set aside a quick 15 minutes, one night a week, to plan for the week ahead. NHS weight-loss guidelines say that by planning meals ahead of time, you are less likely to slip up and make unhealthy choices.

Make a list of the week’s dinners, your lunches and the kids’ lunchboxes so you know what to eat and what to buy at the supermarket.

You can then spend ten minutes making up the lunchboxes for the following day, with the ingredients you brought the week before.

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