Merriam-Webster’s dictionary for kids describes activity as, “the state of being active; energetic action or movement; liveliness.”

To stay motivated, get creative. As long as you’re moving and having fun, anything goes. here are some ideas to keep your family moving over the summer.

AT HOME

• Relay races (either in teams or individually) can include bear crawls, crab walks, single or double leg hopping, galloping, and skipping.
• Develop hand-eye coordination by dribbling a basketball, kicking a soccer ball, or tossing a softball. See how many tosses or kicks you can get consecutively in one minute. Start out slow and aim for accuracy. Once you begin to improve, increase your speed.
• Clean out your pantry and stock it with healthy food choices. Talk to a PRO Sports Club dietitian on how to incorporate healthy eating habits into your family’s lifestyle.

AT THE PLAYGROUND

• Walk, bike, jog, or roller blade together to the park. Have a little playtime. Then return home. Time how long it takes to get there and see if you can beat your time going home.
• Make an obstacle course through the playground equipment and challenge your family members to a race. To keep the course challenging, change the order to do it again and see if you can beat your time.

IN THE POOL

• Say goodbye to swimming laps endlessly. As a family, you can engage in friendly competition based on time or distance, or compete with yourself by trying to swim more laps each time you come to the pool.
• Can’t swim? Take adult swimming lessons so you can enjoy spending time with your children in the pool rather than sitting on the sidelines.
• Take your teen to a water aerobics class where you’ll both get a total body workout which can be varied to your fitness level while having a ton of fun.

FAMILY FUN RUNS

• Choose a 5K race as a family. Hire a personal trainer to help you put together a training plan for your family.
• Set a goal. For example, try running from PRO Sports Club to Disneyland as a family
(1,170.46). Track your miles each week to see if you can get there.
• Use incentives. When you reach your goal, reward the family to a movie day. Or treat yourself to a massage and a new toy for your child. Be sure it’s a reward that’s desired.

Originally from PRO Pulse July-August 2009
By PRO Personal Trainers Erin Julius, Evelyn Chua, and Dani Dreiling