PULSE.

Getting kids into the exercise shuffle

Former Navy SEAL instructor Phil Black has a simple solution to the problem of getting children more interested in fitness.

His ``FitDeck Jr.,'' an innovative deck-of-cards workout, is designed specifically for kids. It's based on his original ``FitDeck'' for adults, which he created as an inexpensive alternative to gym memberships.

Black conceptualized the original deck-of-cards workout as a Yale undergraduate and honed with fitness tips he learned as a Navy SEAL. And now, he's modified it into a regimen for kids from 5-16.

Each FitDeck Jr. card depicts a child performing a different exercise. They're color-coded by muscle group and offer three different repetitions - beginner, intermediate and advanced.

An accompanying booklet lists more than 70 games to play using the cards - including ``Musical Chairs,'' ``Scavenger Hunt'' and ``Hot Potato.'' With the junior version, the emphasis is on fun, Black says.

``As a father of twins, I know how hard it can be to get children off the couch and onto the playground,'' says Black. ``When I saw how families were using the original FitDeck for adults, I realized the idea could be turned into a game that would make kids actually want to exercise.''

FitDeck Jr. retails for $14.95 at www.fitdeck.com.

- Diana McKeon Charkalis

GOOD CLEAN FUN: As any parent knows, convincing your child to get clean can become a bathtub battle. But a new skin-care line from pediatrician Robert ``Dr. Bobby'' Buka and former Wall Street exec and mother Heidi Albert aims to make washing fun and fuss-free.

Doctor Bobby's Skin Caring for Kids includes body wash, moisturizing cream, foaming hand wash, foaming shampoo and ``The Stick,'' a soothing balm for chapped lips and other irritations. The line is fragrance- and allergen-free and comes in kid-friendly packaging. Though targeted at ages 2 to 10, the brand is gentle enough for younger children; Albert even uses them on her newborn.

Skin Caring for Kids sells for $10 to $18 and is available through www.drbobby.com and select pharmacies and stores.

- Kate Zuparko

FITNESS BOOGIE: One, two, step your way to a better body with Denise Austin's ``Burn Fat Fast: Cardio Dance and Sculpt,'' a new DVD that offers a high-energy workout that promises to be anything but dull.

Fitness expert Austin leads two 20-minute workouts that include cardio, strength and stretching exercises. The fast-paced, dance-based workouts aim to help the viewer shrink and shape her buttocks, legs and abs with moves intended to be fun, not tedious.

``Burn Fat Fast'' retails for $14.98 and will be available Dec. 20 through major book and fitness retailers.

- K.Z.

TIP-TOP TYKES: Cookies, candy, fast food, soda - with all these temptations, it can be hard to keep your children healthy and eating right. But with ``Get a Healthy Weight for Your Child: A Parent's Guide to Better Eating and Exercise'' (Robert Rose; $18.95), parents have help in the battle for a healthier lifestyle.

Written by two doctors at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, ``Get a Healthy Weight'' begins by exploring the increasing problem of overweight youth and offering a guide to finding out if your child fits that description. The authors then lay out a plan to achieve a healthier lifestyle through better food choices and physical activity, including a four-week program to jump-start what will ideally be a lifetime of healthy living.

``Get a Healthy Weight'' is available at major book retailers.

- K.Z.

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(1) no caption (FitDeck Jr. an innovative deck-of-cards workout)

(2) no caption (Doctor Bobby's Skin Caring for Kids)

(3) no caption (book: ``Get a Healthy Weight for Your Child: A Parent's Guide to Better Eating and Exercise'')

(4) no caption (``Burn Fat Fast: Cardio Dance and Sculpt'')