Food Sense Nutrition Education

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Make Family Time Active Time

You might think that the goal for children to be moderately physically active for 60 minutes seems like a lot of time. Life does get in the way, but it doesn't have to.
 
Make getting more physical activity a family project. Encourage everyone to think of fun things to do to get up and moving, get off the sofas, and away from the screens—especially doing things as a family.
 
There are hundreds of ways to enjoy physical activity together as a family.
 
  • Bike to the library together
  • Walk or bike to your children's sports events to cheer for them
  • Have your children come to your sports events and cheer for you
  • Celebrate special occasions—birthdays, anniversaries—with something active, such as a hike, a volleyball game, or a Frisbee™ match
  • Train together for a charity walk or run
Keep a family activity log
Encourage everyone in the family to take part and keep up the good work by posting a physical activity log on the refrigerator.
 
Print out a copy of a sample daily activity log (176K), Download Adobe Reader.
 
Everyday Physical Activity Tips
 
Small steps that get your family to move more can help all of you maintain a healthy weight. Choose a different tip each week for you and your family to try. See if you or they can add to the list. Here are a few:
 
Walk Whenever Possible
 
  • Walk instead of drive, whenever you can
  • Walk your children to school
  • Take the stairs instead of the escalator or elevator
  • Take a family walk after dinner
  • Replace a Sunday drive with a Sunday walk
  • Go for a half-hour walk instead of watching TV
  • Get off the bus a stop early, and walk
  • Park farther from the store and walk
  • Make a Saturday morning walk a family habit
  • Walk briskly in the mall
  • Take the dog on longer walks
  • Go up hills instead of around them
Move More in Your Home
 
  • Garden, or make home repairs
  • Do yard work. Get your children to help rake, weed, or plant
  • Work around the house. Ask your children to help with active chores
  • Wash the car by hand
  • Use a snow shovel instead of a snow blower
Live Actively
 
  • Join an exercise group, and enroll your children in community sports teams or lessons
  • Do sit-ups in front of the TV. Have a sit-up competition with your kids
  • Pace the sidelines at kids' athletic games
  • Choose an activity that fits into your daily life/lives
  • Use an exercise video if the weather is bad
  • Avoid labor-saving devices, such as a remote control or electric mixers
  • Play with your kids at least 30 minutes a day
  • Dance to music… with your kids
  • Choose activities you enjoy. Ask children what activities they want to do
  • Explore new physical activities
  • Give yourself a gold star with non-food related rewards, such as a family day at the park, lake, or zoo
  • Swim with your kids
  • Buy a set of hand weights and play a round of Simon Says with your kids—you do it with the weights, they do it without
Keep track of tips you’ve tried with http://walking.about.com/library/cal/walkcalendar2012.pdf
Sources:  http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov and http://walking.about.com