Physical Fun

Physical activity has become a family affair in the Daley-Harris household. Long-distance runner Shannon Daley-Harris, her husband, Sam, and their children, Micah, 5, and Sophie, 2, go for three-mile runs at least once a week.

The children aren’t exactly running: Sophie is in a green jogger stroller, and Micah rides a red Schwinn bicycle.

“It’s a nice way to get exercise and still not sacrifice precious family time,” says Mrs. Daley-Harris, who lives in Southeast.

Local doctors and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say children whose parents and siblings are physically active are more likely to be in and remain in good physical shape. What better time to start than Jan. 1?

Being active doesn’t mean having to run marathons together, which wouldn’t be appropriate for a child anyway, but rather incorporating some fun physical activity, daily if possible, into the schedule, says Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum, an Annapolis internist.

“Do something that’s fun because only if it’s fun will you and the children continue doing it,” Dr. Teitelbaum says. “I go to the playground with my grandbabies for a couple of hours, and I get a better workout than I would at the gym.”

Activities that he and local fitness professionals recommend include taking walks (at the mall if the weather is bad), hiking, going to the playground, swimming, basketball, ice- or roller-skating, in-line skating, soccer, cross-country skiing, biking, rowing, dancing, skipping and jumping rope.

When it comes to duration and age limits for physical activities, Dr. Teitelbaum says he’s reluctant to give guidelines because it may put too much time pressure on families and ultimately take the fun out of the activity.

“Do 10 minutes if that’s all you can fit it. But I guess if you absolutely have to have a number, I would say 30 to 45 minutes a day,” he says. “And you’re never too young to get started.”

Rose Kennedy, co-author of “The Family Fitness Fun Book: Good, Healthy Fun for the Whole Family,” is well-acquainted with the concept of keeping the “fun” in fitness. The book, which is expected to arrive in stores in early 2004, provides hundreds of ideas for physical activities and games that involve the entire family.

“It’s not like you want to trick anyone, but you also don’t want kids to think that exercising is a chore,” Ms. Kennedy says. “You want to make the activity so much fun that they don’t think, ‘This is so good for me and that’s why I have to do it.’”

Parent involvement in the activities and games that she suggests in the book is essential, she says. Not only does it give parents a chance to get some exercise, it also provides children with an opportunity to spend active leisure time with a parent.

Ms. Kennedy’s games and activities take from 5 minutes to several hours and require varying degrees of skill and fitness levels.

Health clubs and gyms started including classes a few years ago that encourage parents and children to exercise together, says Linda Blake, spokeswoman for the YMCA in Alexandria.

“We have a swim class for children ages 6 months to 3 years that’s very popular,” Mrs. Blake says. “And we see a lot of kids with their parents on the basketball court and in the gym, lifting weights.”

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