Back when I was a kid I was never in a single "team sport", but I sure was active! My sister and I would go on all sorts of adventures! Creek walking and swimming were favorites. We would go on hikes uphill, wow, those can get you breathing! Riding bikes was another passtime of ours, and we would be gone for hours on end. For younger kids walking or jogging to the park is a fun way to get your heart rate up, not to mention running around the playground! There are endless ways of keeping fit. When I was a child exercising was so much fun, that I didn't even realize I was exercising! In my opinion, kids should not be forced into team sports or exercising that they don't want to do. Staying fit should just be a natural part of a child's life!

So, how do we get the kids outside? Some parents today are often busy, and do not closely monitor their children. They can lose track of how many hours their child has spent watching television, playing video games, or on the computer. Letting "Jr." watch an extra hour of t.v. is often easier than going outside and playing with him yourself! The problem can sometimes be traced back to the parents lifestyle, and bad habits. Many children would love to "race you to the swing or you are a rotten egg!" Sadly, many children have never raced against their parents. Below are a couple of tips for parents to hit the great outdoors with their children.

1. Weather permitting make it a practice to go on a walk sometime each weekend.

2. Make sure there is enough time in your schedule to spend with your child outdoors. Make changes if necessary.

3. Set up an imaginary obstacle course in your backyard or park. Tells your kids to do two jumping jacks, slide down the slide, run around the merry-go-round three times, etc. as fast as they can. This is a bunch of fun for most kids, especially if you bring along a stopwatch!

4. Buy toys geared more toward physical activity. For instance when buying a board game consider buying Twister instead of Monopoly to get the kids moving.

5. If your child is begging for a bicycle, trampoline or skateboard, and it is within your financial means, buy it! If he or she is begging for the latest video game system, well, I'll leave that up to you.

6. Exercise on your own. One of the best ways a child will learn to stay fit, even through adulthood, is by watching and observing his or her parents do it.

Above all, have fun! There are many other ways to have fun and stay fit than just team sports. You and your children will form a strong bond playing together, and exercising may become something you look forward to, instead of it being a burden.

Learn more about this author, Claireen Louise.
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