Everyone wants to be healthy and spend time with their kids, but with the crazy schedule most families have, this can be hard to achieve. Usually your exercise will suffer so you can see your kids more. The question is, why? It doesn’t have to be that way! With exercise routines becoming easier to learn, and more and more families looking to stay fit, you can exercise together. Not only will you be spending quality time together, but you will be having lots of fun, so it won’t even seem like a “work out”!

Some of the best exercising you can perform takes place while watching TV. Don’t be couch potatoes anymore; turn this into a productive time for you and your family. Forget the popcorn! When a commercial comes on, try doing some jumping jacks instead. If you can continually keep your blood moving at a good pace, you will burn more calories. 30 to 60 seconds may not seem like much, but at the end of the program, you’ll have completed close to 10 minutes of jumping jacks without even realizing it! As an alternative, you can rotate pushups into this simple work out. For an added benefit while actually watching TV, try getting some ankle weights and do leg lifts while enjoying your show. With a good routine in place, you will turn family TV time into a very productive family fit time!

Have you ever played tag with your family? If you haven’t, surely you played it as a kid. Here’s a fun twist to already cardio intensive game. When you’re “tagged”, don’t just stand there! Make it a rule that you have to do jumping jacks, pushups, crunches, etc. until you’re free again! This is a fun alternative that has many benefits. Give it a try, it works wonders.

If you’re like many other families, surely your husband plays golf. What father doesn’t want to teach his kids how to play sports? That’s what they dream of. This can be great exercise for the whole family, and lots of fun as well. How so? Don’t rent a golf cart! Sure, it is slower this way. But you gain nothing from it. If you were to walk the 18 hole golf course, you’ll be burning around 1300 calories. Just by walking! An added benefit is that golf bags are heavy. Toting your bag around for 18 holes will give your body a good little workout. If golf isn’t your thing, try playing organized flag football or basketball!

Some more excellent choices include going on a family bike ride, canoeing, or swimming. All these activities are excellent cardio workouts, and the resistance you experience while swimming gives your whole body a workout. This is why you will often be exhausted and sore just from swimming for a few hours!

Whether you will be inside or out, there are exercises you can perform every day without even realizing it. If you pay close attention, you can turn your entire world into your family’s playground!

Dawn Fritsch is a Gym Owner. Personal Trainer and Fitness Instructor who specializes in Women’ Fitness for the over 40′s. Dawn also has a unique understanding and passion for workout’s that can be done At Home with minimal, or no equipment.