10 easy ways to make fitness fun for the whole family

If you have children, then you also have a wonderful opportunity to get some fun, high-quality exercise by spending time with them. Here are 10 creative ways to fuse fun and fitness for the whole family.

By walking with them, you not only get peace of mind that they're safe, but you also get to hear about their upcoming day on the way there, and how their day went on the way home.

Although it may seem more like relaxation than structured exercise, you'll get your heart rate up every time you have to run or leap for an errant ball or Frisbee. Plus, you'll help your kids improve their hand-eye coordination.

Hold a night of active family games every week.

• Organize a night of three-legged races, wheelbarrow races and so on, and challenge another family from your street to a friendly competition. It's an excellent way to get to know your neighbours, too!

"Pinja" is a fun game based on the Lion King film, in which Nala plays with Simba and says "pinned ya" every time she manages to get him on his back.

• Pretend you and your children are all characters from the film and (safely) wrestle each other around the living room floor. The game is over when you are wiped out – the children could probably go on all night!

Try out the hula hoop and other toys, such as a skipping rope. Not only will you and your children bond, you'll become the coolest parent around if you can master the hula hoop.

• You can turn something as simple as skipping rope into a fun challenge to see how many skips you and your child can do; then try each week to beat your own "record" from the previous week.

Pick a week in which each member of the family wears a pedometer on his or her belt – some smartphones can track your steps, too. Then compete to see who can achieve the most steps.

• To make it even more fun, plot out the distance achieved on a map to see how far each person walked. For example, how far from home did you walk? To the local mall? Across the city? Or to a friend's house in another town?

Good examples include using the stairs instead of the escalator or parking far from the entrance of a building.

• Your children will think this is simply the way things are done and will carry these good health habits into adulthood.

How is it possible to make chores fun?

• Put on music while sweeping, vacuuming or doing the dishes – something upbeat and energetic.

You can also make things a little more amusing by creating a game out of chores. For example:

• Who can find the biggest dust bunny?
• Who can collect (and put away) toys that have yellow on them?
• Who can pair together the most number of socks from the laundry bin?

Children are naturally inclined to want to help, especially if there's an element of fun involved.

Look into family fitness programs at your local municipal recreation centre.

• Many municipalities offer fitness programs for families, ranging from aerobics to aqua fitness to in-line skating and more.
• Don't just sign everyone up and hope for the best, though. Sit down with your family and go over your options together. The kids will love having a say in the program you choose.

Organize a playgroup with other parents and children in your area.

• When children play outside together, they naturally move around and get their exercise. Better yet, they often invent their own fun variations of such games as "tag," and can keep themselves busy for hours on end.
• As the toddlers actively play together, the adults can exercise around the periphery.