Quick Tips: Let's get my family active

Walking

When family schedules get really busy, going for a walk may be the easiest thing you can do together.

Start with short walks that everyone in the family can do. Add more distance gradually. Younger children can ride a bike or a tricycle. You can pull a wagon in case little ones get tired.

Scavenger hunts can keep children from being bored on a walk. Keep in mind a list of "treasures" they can find, such as a red leaf, a blue house, a black dog, or an out-of-state license plate.

Get pedometers for everyone, and work on increasing the number of steps you take on your family walks. Get family members to wear the pedometers all day, and keep a log of everyone's total steps. Adults should work toward 10,000 steps a day. Children who are 6 to 12 years old need more steps—at least 12,000 for girls and at least 15,000 for boys.

Register the whole family in a family fun run/walk in your community. If the event is for charity, have your family walk through your neighborhood to collect pledges.