Almost half of modern parents are so exhausted by the drudgery of daily life that they cannot muster the energy to play with their children, according to research published today.

Parents who spend time doing physical activity with their under 10 year olds sleep better, are less likely to feel stressed and have better behaved children, the report says.

Almost half (46%) of parents questioned said that the stresses of every day life left them sapped of any energy to play actively with their children.

On average, almost two thirds (64%) of UK parents spend less than an hour each day in energetic activity with their child.

Cannons Health Clubs carried out the research after finding an increasing number of their members were complaining of not having enough energy to keep up with their offspring.

Of the parents interviewed, more than a quarter (26%) said they spent less than 20 minutes a day exercising with their children.

And just over half (51%) of parents who exercised with their children for less than 20 minutes a day described their home life as "unhappy".

In contrast, the report found that of the 36% of parents who spend more than an hour every day exercising with their children, more than three quarters (79%) described their home life as "happy".

The report also revealed that exercise levels have a significant bearing on parents' moods towards their children.

Of the least active parents, 72% confessed they get irritated by their offspring's behaviour.

In comparison, 65% of parents who spend an hour or more exercising with their children each day said they did not often find their child's behaviour irritating.

Today's study also reveals that modern parents admit to a number of avoidance tactics to get them out of physical activity.
 

• More than half (51%) confess to using the television as an "electronic babysitter" to avoid strenuous activities.
• 62% say that when they take their children out to play, they are more likely to choose parks with cafes or supervised soft play areas where they can rest instead of playing with their children.
• As well as being too exhausted for play, almost one in five (18%) parents said they found playing with their children boring.
• 15% of parents have feigned sickness to avoid the parents' race on sports day.

Researcher into children's activity and health, Dr Nicky Ridgers from Liverpool John Moores University, said: "Parenting is an exhausting task at times.

"The best solution is to find an activity that all of the family can enjoy and engage in together.

"Introducing exercise into family life is a great way to motivate parents and teach children that a healthy lifestyle involves a balance between rest and play.

"Very young children have a lot of energy, and they rely on their parents to help them expend it in a positive way.

"Parents who play with their children are not only being good role models and encouraging a fit and healthy lifestyle, they are also more likely to have a good relationship with their child as spending time together helps the parent/child bonding process." Lu Mayes, a personal trainer and exercise co-ordinator for Cannons Health Clubs, said: "It's not surprising that parents who are more physically active are happier with their home life.

"The more active play they undertake, the fitter they become, increasing their energy levels and releasing endorphins to the brain."

:: Research was carried out by Cannons Health Clubs amongst a sample of 512 sets of parents with children under 10 years old from December 14 to 19 2007.