The family that exercises together

Simple Minds producer Jez Coad has produced the tracks. Three of the tracks are sung by Alison Wheeler of pop group The Beautiful South.

Songs include jazzed-up activity favourites such as The Grand Old Duke of York, Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes and the Happy Birthday Song and – inspired by the parents in Amanda’s classes – the brand new Tidy Up Song has been written to encourage good behaviour at home.

“The whole album promotes the importance of parents having fun interacting with their children and getting fit at the same time,” says Amanda. “Children dance best when adults dance with them. Action Club children will want to carry on exercising throughout their adult lives. I am helping to lay these foundations.”

She adds: “We all worry about ensuring our children exercise enough. It is vital to give them new fun and exciting games so they don’t lose interest. But sometimes we parents lose inspiration for fresh ideas. My classes give mums and dads a great opportunity to play alongside their children, see how they develop their skills and discover what they are really capable of.”

Amanda has become a cult entertainer and has hosted parties for celebrities including David and Victoria Beckham, the late Jade Goody, Sarah Beeney, Catherine Tate and Matthew Pinsent. Her background is as a fitness instructor so she knows what she is talking about.
The album is linked in to the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum. “It educates children in a fun way,” she says. The EYFS guidelines state: “Physical development is inseparable from all other areas of learning and development, because children learn by being active, in all areas. Physical development has two other very important aspects. It helps children gain confidence in what they can do and enables them to feel the positive benefits of being healthy and active. Effective physical development helps children to develop a positive sense of well-being.”

Amanda is also shooting an interactive DVD to accompany the CD and a gym bag full of accessories to use with the routines which she hopes will be taken up by one of the big children’s stores.

Amanda has big ambitions. She wants to franchise Amanda’s Action Kids across the UK, has just launched a play centre near Oxford which encourages parent participation and is also looking at international expansion. She has been in China looking into the possibility of setting up an Amanda play centre there.

In addition her website has been revamped and she is running a successful working mums’ network. Amanda, who has a young daughter, is a great networker and the benefits have paid off for her. She is working with some high-flying businesswomen, including a marketing executive who used to work for Universal Records and is doing the PR campaign for the DVD when it comes out in January. Watch this space.