The Family That Plays Together.

In these days when hunting for the remote control and queuing up for the personal computer are considered aerobic family activities, it might seem like a stretch to consider something more, well, athletic. Let's face it, if you can make it home on the subway or survive rush-hour traffic on the freeway, your heart probably gets plenty of exercise jumping into your throat. But what about your family?

Consider this grim statistic: Only about half of Americans ages ! 2 to 21 participate regularly in vigorous activity, and more than 60 percent of all adults don't achieve the recommended amount of regular physical activity. Yikes! But don't despair yet.

There is one time-tested, mother-approved way to get your kids moving. Get yourself moving first. There is a growing trend in America: Time-crunched Americans are combining exercise and family time as a way of having fun while keeping fit. Ironically, a study of 1,600 adults showed that one of the main reasons they don't exercise is that it takes away from family time. "You can overcome that barrier by having the family exercise together," said Robert McMurray, professor of exercise and sport science at the University of North Carolina. "Then everyone benefits."

Depending on the size of your family and the ages of its members, this might be easier said than done. However, it is certainly worth attempting. I'm speaking from experience here, as the child in the family and later as the adult in the family. When I was growing up, our family spent a lot of quality time together exercising. We hiked, canoed, and ran together. Those times are some of my best memories.

Today I have a family of my own, and we exercise together, too. My children have gone running (in a baby jogger) and hiking (in a backpack) from the time they were old enough to ride safely in either conveyance. In the summer we go canoe camping. Sure, the kids don't get much exercise now; it's mostly parental power that moves them from point A to point B. But they are being exposed to the habits and benefits of exercise. They are developing an exercising mind-set that will stand them in good stead when they get old enough and their legs get long enough to take them places on their own.

Don't leave it up to the schools to involve your children in physical activities. Many schools are trimming their budgets, and physical education is one of the first things to go. You may remember, fondly or not, a time when gym class was mandatory, but kids today won't. The 1960s are now seen as the highwater mark for youth fitness in the U.S., and many of the baby boomers carried their health habits with them. But even as baby boomers moved on to health clubs-creating the illusion of the Great American Fitness Boom--the schools they once attended were all but locking the gyms.

The nice thing about family exercise is that it doesn't have to be any more complicated than you make it. Just going for a walk is great exercise for a family. Playing basketball, badminton, baseball, lawn tennis, soccer, or even tag is great exercise as well as fun. If this is going to be a one-sizefits-all sort of exercise, it helps to concentrate on the fun and social aspects and leave the stopwatch at home.

In exercising together you will be giving your children insurance against common risk factors--high blood pressure; elevated blood cholesterol, obesity, or low cardiovascular fitness--for heart disease. But just as important, you will be creating memories that will stay with them for a lifetime and fitness values that they will pass on to their children.

When she's not working out with her kids, Celeste perrino Walker writes for Vibrant Life from Rutland, Vermont.