SINGAPORE: The Singapore Sports Council said less than 40 per cent of mothers in their thirties and forties exercise regularly. So it is launching a three-month fitness campaign aimed at getting sedentary women moving.

The planned activities include over 20 women-only fitness tryouts called Ladies Escapades. They include mother and child martial arts, Thai kick-boxing and fun karting.

According to a survey by the Singapore Sports Council, the top three reasons many women cite for not exercising are lack of time due to family, work or plain lack of interest.

So one mother, Kelly Yeo, makes special effort to ensure exercising with her children is top priority.

She said: "It all started when my husband was declared obese. It was quite a health scare, so to get things rolling we starting jogging and walking and joined a gym. And we decided it was the way to go for the family.

"It also maintains the cohesiveness in your family. It creates bonding with your child and improves communication with your children." - CNA/vm