How to Involve Your Family

Increasing your family's activity level may be challenging at first, until it becomes routine. Some resourceful ideas for getting everyone moving include:

• Creating an activity menu by working with your child to come up with a list of favorite activities. Post the list where the child can see and refer to it often. "You can let your child use the activity menu to create a calendar of planned activities," Dr. Gavin suggests.
• Plan everyday activities, such a walking the dog, running to the mailbox, or riding bikes around the block each afternoon.
• Plan indoor activities such as working out with a children's exercise video, building an indoor obstacle course, or playing games with soft sports balls, forts, or tents.
• Plan outdoor activities such as going to the playground, riding bikes, and inline skating.
• Special-occasion activities may include bowling, miniature golf, visiting a fair or an amusement park, or taking a hike in the woods.

It's not easy to lay the groundwork for a lifetime of physical fitness for your children, but it's worth the effort. "No one's perfect, and parents will find that raising healthy and active children involves lots of compromise," explains Gavin. "But there are definitely things parents can do to encourage better nutrition and more activity for their kids. Even small changes can add up to have a positive impact on both short- and long-term health."