Simple and fun workouts for the whole family

Engaging into physical activities with your children is a great way to both spend time with them and teach them about the joys and importance of exercise. The following advice will help you choose some fun games for the entire family.

• Put on your favourite music and dance with your children.
• Vigorous dancing burns just as many calories as brisk walking.
• And children love it – particularly when the adults pick them up and swing them around every now and then.
• And don't just leave dancing to chance, or when you happen to be in the mood – make sure you have one or even two family dance sessions a week.
• Here's an idea: perhaps a Friday night dance can become a family tradition.
• Let everyone take turns to choose some music, and let yourself go.

• Place a city, country or world map somewhere prominent in your home.
• Work with your children to arrive at a certain destination.
• Then, based on your daily family walks, plot your progress on the map using drawing pins.
• There are about 1,300 steps in a kilometre, so you can plot your progress using a pedometer.
• To add some incentive, why not promise to take a trip to your actual destination once you complete the number of steps it takes to get there?

• We often confine children and prevent the very exercise they need.
• For example, have you ever placed your baby in a swing to give yourself some free time? Ever settled your children in front of the DVD player or television when you needed a break?
• Instead of automatically finding a stationary activity for your children when you need your own personal time-out, encourage more activity.
• For toddlers and crawlers, find a safe space on the floor where they can move.
• Suggest that older children play in the sandbox or climb your backyard tree as you keep an eye open nearby.

• Plan 10 minute spurts of activity followed by five minute rest periods.
• Don't force your adult exercise program on your children. That's a recipe for disaster.
• Studies have shown that forcing children to participate in structured exercise turns them off exercise later in life.
• Instead, take advantage of their natural tendency to participate in intermittent and sporadic play and exercise bouts.
• A game of tag is a perfect example. Children's bodies are designed to sprint and rest, sprint and rest.
• Because they are easily distracted and incapable of long periods of focused activity, they will resist long exercise sessions that don't include rest periods.