Originally published August 30 2005
How to keep your children off the couch
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Kids are naturally going to want to watch daily children's TV shows, but today's kids are becoming obese in record numbers, so MSN reports that parents need to get them up and out of the house for exercise and fresh air.
That means it's your job to steer your kids toward more active fun when they're at home.
You can do the same by offering them a variety of specific activities that'll keep them moving while they're having fun.
To help, we've compiled a 28-day family fitness planner that will introduce your kids to a wide variety of fun, physical activities.
"By trying an assortment of activities, your kids will learn that there's more to 'exercise' than team sports or lifting weights," says Gavin, lead author of Fit Kids: A Practical Guide to Raising Healthy and Active Children.
Kids love these miniature step-counters because they make walking and running an instant game as they try to see how many steps they can rack up.
Our picks: RYP Sports Digital Mini Pedometer, a Post-it-size step counter that comes in colors kids love, like translucent pink, blue, and clear (cost: $17.95 at RYP Sports) and Sportsline Talking Pedometer, which announces distance traveled at various increments and plays seven different melodies that make exercise fun by synchronizing the music with your child's walking or jogging speed (cost: $19.99 at The Sports Authority).
Surf over to Kidnetic.com, a Web site where exercise is disguised as video games, and let your kids play till they drop.
Grab some household items and small prizes like balls and crayons and stash them in hidden places around the yard (or inside if the weather isn't great).
Head over to your local public golf course, buy some balls (a small bucket is about $5), and smack a few on the practice range.
To encourage them, the government has established the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award (PALA), which rewards kids ages 6 to 17 for playing sports, participating in active hobbies, or just horsing around with family and friends.
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