A family that exercises together, stays together

As the world counts the losses from Covid-19, Ali Ahmed, a father of two teenagers, chooses to be grateful for the gift of time that allowed him to bond with his two teenagers through cycling.

Like most Kenyans, he worked remotely because of the pandemic restrictions. Children also stayed at home, and he grabbed the opportunity to initiate the young ones into the cycling culture.

Love at first pedal

It was love at first pedal for his son, Abdulmajid, 15, who was quick to warm up to the idea, and with the first push of the pedal, the duo started their cycling journey together. At first, they would cycle for a few kilometres within their residential estate, but they challenged themselves to embark on much longer trips with time.

On the other hand, his daughter, Aisha, 17, was not entirely receptive to the idea. However, Ali did not give up on her just yet. During his cycling expeditions with his son, he would document their adventures and share them on social media. It turns out this would be the perfect bait for Aisha to join them.

“I usually make videos of our rides and post them on YouTube. Whenever my daughter watched our rides and saw how much fun it was, she would become more interested. In a way, this got her off the couch, and she started joining us for the Saturday rides.”

Ali proudly describes his relationship with his children as cordial, loving, mutually inclusive and friendly. According to him, cycling has been monumental in building the relationship he enjoys with the youngsters.

“Cycling has enabled me to spend quality time with my children, especially considering that everyone is busy with work, school and family, hence less time for bonding.”

Get them moving

Over time, Ali, alongside Aisha and Abdulmajid, have toured the country on their bikes, including a trip to Mombasa with his son in  September 2020. Their favourite moments include visiting new places and enjoying different environments and natural sceneries that they would typically not have seen on a regular day. Besides that, they improve their social life because they get to meet and network with people from diverse backgrounds.

The quality time they spend together probably explains why Ali has a strong message for parents, especially in urban areas: get them off the couch.

 “Cycling is a fun way to get your children off the couch. Normally, children tend to spend most of their time at home, making them physically inactive. With the onset of the Covid-19, this situation was further exacerbated since the children were not going to school, nor were the parents going to work. Therefore, gaming consoles and TV were the obvious replacement for outdoor activities. Therefore, for me, cycling was a natural and wholesome alternative to this inactive lifestyle. I would encourage all parents to adopt cycling because it helps improve their health and serves as a fun activity. Most importantly, cycling offers freedom to children to explore places they otherwise would not have reached.”

Going the extra mile

Ali believes that cycling can also be an excellent way to initiate children into becoming ambassadors of noble initiatives like climate conservation. According to him, cycling is one of the best solutions to the problem of greenhouse gas emissions and reducing our carbon footprint.

“I always sensitise my children on the importance of protecting our environment and having a healthy planet. My children know that if we continue polluting our environment, getting clean air will be a luxury someday. I believe that cycling can be one of the many ways to help avert this impending disaster. Cycling with my children helps show them how they can care about the planet. Children will always observe us and follow our example.”

However, Ali is keen to caution parents keen to join the cycling culture as he recounts some of the lowest moments during the cycling trips. He says that sometimes things get tough, especially when climbing steep roads. He says that “these moments test your determination to conquer challenges, your endurance and patience.” Besides that, there is the danger they always face on the roads from impatient motorists who do not want to share the roads.

“We have had quite a few accidents on the road owing to such drivers leading to some of the cyclists being hospitalised.”

However, besides that, he insists that the benefits of cycling are immense and that parents should strive to push their children to do some physical activity like cycling by sensitising them to the importance of staying healthy.

“Get them appropriate bicycles and cycling kits, including fitting helmets and other that accessories that will motivate them to join in because, as we all know, children love their toys.”

The cycling mum

There is something very inspiring about a parent reaching a fitness goal, especially while lugging two children around. This has been the case for Susan Araka since she initiated her children into the cycling culture in August 2020. In October 2021, with an impressive track record of one year and two months in their pockets, the trio was ready for a new challenge-an over 400-kilometre cycling trip from Nairobi to Mombasa. “We have been cycling every weekend. Therefore, when Spin Kings Kenya were planning for the trip, and they said that amateurs (children and adults with low experience) could join in, we decided to take up the challenge because we had previously cycled over 100km. There was a time we cycled from Nairobi to Naivasha. For that reason, I registered and decided that I was going to bring the children along,” says Susan.

Susan admits that although exercising with her little ones and taking up challenges like the three-day trip to the coast can be tough, it is a decision she will never regret. She believes that exercising together has created an opportunity for her to mould their relationship into trust and friendship.

“We are very close and open with each other. I think because we spend a lot of time doing activities that bring out the best and also the worst of us, the children open up very easily and express themselves,” says Susan.

Besides that, they have fun—lots of it. Susan reminisces the trip to Mombasa as a fascinating one.  “During the stops, everyone was recounting what they had experienced on the road. And even after coming back home, we still remember some of the things that happened.”

At the time, Susan and her children embarked on the over 400 km trip to the coast, her son Araka Njeru was nine, and her daughter Mokeira Wanjiru was 12. Susan says that many people, including her mother, were opposed to the idea owing to the children’s ages. However, on the other hand, the young ones are oblivious of the concerns, “we’re very excited and prepared.”

“The children thought they were going to do the whole distance in one go. They were eating right, hydrating, and practising as we waited for the day.”

Susan believes that Mokeira’s and Araka’s liking for cycling can be largely attributed to the fact that she immersed herself in the activity as well. Her mantra is that nothing comes out of the blue and that even if parents think the children are talented, they must create time to nurture that talent.  “I had been cycling along with Spin Kings for one month before introducing the children, but we had been cycling together around home even before Spin Kings.

“For children, when the parents are exercising, they will naturally take up the challenge as well. It is tough for children to exercise when you (parent) sit back and instruct them to exercise,” she adds.

Life lessons on the road

Most bicycle lovers subscribe to the belief that the best rides are the ones where you bite off much more than you can chew, and live through it. The situation is not any different for Susan and her cubs. The trip to Mombasa was not a walk in the park because of the extensive cycling.

She says that they became cranky because of the fatigue, sustained physical bruises from holding the handlebars for long, and had to endure saddle sores that result from riding over long distances. Besides that, the bikes would malfunction, and they would have to hop onto the chase cars for a while until the bikes were fixed.

For Susan, the crankiness, bruises and sores are lessons for the young ones. She wants them to show endurance even after they alight from their bikes.

“Once you know you can do something, nothing can be a hindrance. I told the children that in future, when you are in campus, and you are struggling with life, remember that when you were nine, you cycled to Mombasa. Therefore, nothing can be tough for you. It builds mental strength. That when you decide to do something, no matter how difficult, you will achieve it.”

Susan’s hybrid bike and her children’s aluminium frame road bikes are probably being oiled and fine-tuned for what lies ahead because riding together has brought them closer than ever before, and they have no intentions of slowing down.

“I will make the trip to Mombasa again next year. By then, we will be more prepared because we will start practising early and we will be determined to make sure our bikes are in good condition.”

For the parents planning to embark on similar trips, Susan advises that from her experience, nobody should get on a bike without adequate preparation at least a couple of weeks before the day of departure.

“You need to have cycled more than 100 kilometres several times before you embark on a journey like that.”

Expert view

According to Grace Kariuki, a marriage and family therapist and an accredited member of the Kenya Counselling and Psychological Association, the good relationships that Susan and Ali share with their respective children are signs of good bonding patterns between the parents and their children. She says that every parent should be challenged to spend more time with their children, especially by engaging in physical activities.

 “This way, children will have an opportunity to learn from their parents and to develop greater bonds. In addition, these experiences allow them to create good memories.”

Grace is keen to point out that how children grow is greatly dependent on their relationship with their parents. For instance, parents and children exercising together allows the parents to teach and train their children about healthy life-long self-care habits. With the rising numbers in child obesity leading to type two diabetes in children, it is essential to inculcate healthy habits early. It is also important to explain to children the benefits of these habits.

Besides the physical benefits of healthy parent-children relationships, these relationships are equally instrumental in the mental well-being of the young ones. It equips them with life lessons that will help them navigate life’s murky waters. According to Grace, the intentional time spent with children improves the children’s feelings of self-worth.

They feel valued when they see their parents take time away from their busy schedules to offer them undivided attention. It increases feelings of goodness in the child’s experience of life. These children also have greater confidence in themselves and are not afraid to try new things because they experience and learn patience from their parents.

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