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As with healthy eating, kids are more likely to want to be active when other family members are active too. Find ways to build physical activity—step-by-step—into your family routine. Here are some tips on getting family members together for physical activities:
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| • | Plan regular physical activities as a family. Take an after-dinner family walk three days a week—or schedule a weekly Saturday afternoon trip to the pool. |
| • | Limit television, video games or computer time to one to two hours a day. |
| • | Focus on fun rather than skill. If kids think of physical activity as fun they'll be more likely to want to do it. |
| • | Encourage your kids to play outside with other children. Be sure where they are playing is safe. |
| • | Use fun physical activities as a reward. When your family reaches one of its goals, celebrate with a fun, active outing you can enjoy together. Go play miniature golf, practice at a batting cage, visit a water slide park, go canoeing, hiking or ice skating. |
| • | Include activity in your daily routine. Take the stairs. Park farther away at the store and walk. Have your child participate in chores that involve physical activity such as cleaning, gardening or walking the dog. |
| • | Expose your kids to a variety of physical activities and allow them to choose which ones they like best. Here are some activities your family may want to try: |
| • | Keep in mind that overweight kids may feel uncomfortable in competitive sports, so activities everyone can participate in regardless of skill may be best. If your children are interested in team sports, however, you should encourage them and help them join a local team. Activities not based on skill level include: |
