9 easy workouts for parents and kids

As a parent, you may not think you have enough time to work out. Yet physical exercise is important for adults and children alike. The following ideas will help you select activities that promote fitness and generate some quality time for the whole family.

1. Play "chase my shadow." The children have to jump and run to catch your shadow, then vice versa.
2. Play follow-the-leader with one or more children. Line up in single file and weave your way through the house or backyard. Every few steps, hop, skip, jump or do some other movement that your followers must imitate. Once the children get the hang of the game, let them take turns as leader. Their naturally creative minds will come up with all sorts of fun movements for the followers to imitate. You'll be out of breath before you know it.
3. Purchase some family-friendly aerobics tapes for cold or rainy days. Choose tapes that describe the workout as "low intensity" or "low impact." These types of aerobic exercise are better for children's developing bodies.
4. Give your child a head start – and race around the house. You can do the same with other exercises, such as stretches or star jumps. You do ten, and your child does five. See who can complete them first.
5. Wash the car together. The scrubbing is good exercise, but everyone getting wet and soapy is the fun part for children.
6. Give your children a list of indoor chores – then join them. Younger children often like to feel helpful and will enjoy helping you with household chores. Ask them to help you to make the beds, join in with the dusting, fold the laundry and put it away and set the table – all are physical activities that can help to get your heart rate up, stretch your body and build your muscles.
7.  Plan a garden together. As you dig holes, plant seeds and pull weeds, you'll build your child's and your own upper-body strength. As an added bonus, research shows that children are more likely to eat the vegetables they help to grow, which means your gardening forays will help your child to follow a more nutritious diet.
8. Act like a child. Remember duck-duck-goose or hopscotch? You probably thought of these games as just that, children's games. But they also require movement and count as exercise. Teach them to your children and play along. As you laugh, you'll burn extra calories.
9. Move like an animal. If you have young children aged three to eight, organize an animal race. Let everyone in the family pick an animal, such as a snake, monkey, horse or crab. Then race across the room as you imitate how that animal might move. For example, if you choose a monkey, race using your hands and feet, but not your knees or torso. If you are imitating a snake, slither across the room. Add some animal noises for real fun.