Apparently this topic is trying to compete with "blah blah causes childhood obesity" for the top over-covered news slot. And of course the two go together, because our bad, sedentary ways are contributing to the (ba ba bum) obesity epidemic. But I'll do this one AGAIN because this story at least has two sometimes overlooked thoughts on how to get kids to, you know, work out something other than their mousing hand. And of course you have committed to heart all the previous advice on playing games like tag and working for better urban planning so that kids can safely ride bikes and go to parks and so on and on and on.
My favorite bit of advice for getting kids to be active: "Lead by example." Yeah, you can talk all day long about the importance of exercise for a healthy body, but if you only break a sweat during the American Idol finals, then your kids are probably going to sense you are talking out of your ass. I'll go further and say, bring the kids to the gym or the track with you every once in a while. Let them see you in action. That will ultimately have a bigger impact than "exercise good" blather.
The other thing I like on this: "Choose active recreation." Play physical games. Hike. Walk places. Just don't limit fun time to sitting and staring at a screen, though I believe there's room for that too. But adding just a little movement to family time helps. Plus, you get to hear that lovely whine, "Mom, my feet are too tiiiired to walk any more." And there's the potential for bonding in that.
