Busy Fitness

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle Review

Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle Review
By Leon Lioe

I just finished reading this book "Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle" and would like to do an honest review about it. Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle has a big volume, it consists of 17 chapters and over 300 pages. I am not going to list the chapters here. If you want, you can view them by following the link at the end of this article. Despite its size, this book contains no "fluff" at all. In fact, all the chapters give you important information about losing weight and living a healthy lifestyle. I find the book very easy to read and motivating. After reading the book, you will feel that you've known your body much better and ready to embark on a healthy journey.

However, do keep in mind that this is not for people who are looking for a quick fixes or another diet program. In fact, it does not offer any diet program. This book is not about weight or fat loss per se, it teaches you how to cultivate a healthy lifestyle. You will learn that different people have different body types, how to recognize your own body type and identify what it needs. It provides you the knowledge and tool to calculate the exact amount of nutrients your body needs and how to adjust your own diet for optimal result.

If you study and apply the techniques taught in "Burn The Fat Feed The Muscle (BFFM)", you will have created a "formula" that you can use for healthy living for the rest of your life. What I really like about BFFM compared to other weight loss books is the fact that I feel like I have gone through a proper education on total wellness. You will begin to understand that living a healthy lifestyle forever is not that complicated at all, what you need is just a little knowledge and motivation. Knowledge is indeed very powerful and it will never die.

After reading BFFM, I have now changed and adapted to a more healthy lifestyle. I can now keep a precise record of what I eat and based my food choices on the healthy formula I have created for my body type. If you are serious about losing weight and obtaining a total health for the rest of your life, this book is definitely worth checking out.

Health is definitely the most precious asset in our life and I am glad that the author of BFFM recognize this fact. I believe this book can help every men and women around the world who want to achieve a total health in their life. By the way, BFFM also comes with some great bonuses which in my opinion are already worth more than the price of the book.

Click here for more information about BFFM and the topics of its 17 chapters.

Leon is an Infopreneur dedicated to sharing his online discoveries across the net. You can visit his blogs at Leon's Self-Development Blog and Health Buzz Zone.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Leon_Lioe

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Regular Exercise Can Extend Men's Lives

A Little Regular Exercise Extends Men's Lives
Brisk 30-minute walk a few days a week cut death risk in half, study found.


(HealthDay News) -- Even a moderate amount of exercise can dramatically prolong a man's life, new research on middle-aged and elderly American veterans reveals.

The government-sponsored analysis -- the largest such study ever -- found that a regimen of brisk walking 30 minutes a day at least four to six days a week was enough to halve the risk of premature death from all causes.

"As you increase your ability to exercise -- increase your fitness -- you are decreasing in a step-wise fashion the risk of death," said study author Peter Kokkinos, director of the exercise testing and research lab in the cardiology department of the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

That conclusion applies more or less equally to white and black men, regardless of their prior history of cardiovascular disease. According to Kokkinos, that may be because the veterans in the study all received the same level of care, regardless of income.

This evened the playing field, he said, giving him "great confidence" in the results, which will be published in the Feb. 5 issue of Circulation and were released online Jan. 22.

In the study, Kokkinos and his team reviewed information gathered by the VA from 15,660 black and white male patients treated either in Palo Alto, Calif., or in Washington, D.C.

The men ranged in age from 47 to 71 and had been referred to a VA medical facility for a clinically prescribed treadmill exercise test sometime between 1983 and 2006. All participants were asked to run until fatigued, at which point the researchers recorded the total amount of energy expended and oxygen consumed.

The numbers were then crunched into "metabolic equivalents," or METS. In turn, the researchers graded the fitness of each man according to his MET score, ranging from "low-fit" (below 5 METS) to "very-high fit" (above 10 METS).

By tracking fatalities through June 2007, Kokkinos and his colleagues found that for both black and white men it was their fitness level, rather than their age, blood pressure or body-mass index, that was most strongly linked to their future risk for death.

Every extra point in MET conferred a 14 percent reduction in the risk for death among black men, and a 12 percent reduction among whites. Among all participants, those categorized as "moderately fit" (5 to 7 METS) had about a 20 percent lower risk for death than "low-fit" men. "High-fit" men (7 to 10 METS) had a 50 percent lower risk, while the "very high fit" (10 METS or higher) cut their odds of an early death by 70 percent.

"The point is, it takes relatively little exercise to achieve the benefit we found," noted Kokkinos. "Approximately two to three hours per week of brisk walking per week. That's just 120 to 200 minutes per week. And this can be split up throughout the week, and throughout the day. So it's doable in the real world."

Alice H. Lichtenstein, director of the Cardiovascular Nutrition Lab at Tufts University's USDA Human Nutrition Research Center in Boston, agreed.

"What this finding demonstrates is that levels of physical activity that should be achievable by anyone can have a real benefit with respect to risk reduction," she said.

"What's really important to understand is that you don't need special clothes, special memberships, special equipment," added Lichtenstein, former chairwoman of the American Heart Association's nutrition committee. "It's something everyone can engage in. And although we don't know from this research that this applies to women as well, there's no reason to suspect that it wouldn't."

SOURCES: Peter Kokkinos, Ph.D., director, exercise testing and research lab, cardiology department, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Washington D.C.; Alice H. Lichtenstein, D.Sc., director, Cardiovascular Nutrition Lab, Gershoff professor of nutrition, USDA Human Nutrition Research Center, Tufts University, Boston, and former vice chair, nutrition committee, American Heart Association; Jan. 22, 2008, Circulation, online.

This is a story from HealthDay, a service of ScoutNews, LLC.
Copyright © 2008 ScoutNews LLC. All rights reserved.

Sunday, January 27, 2008

7 Ways To Get Motivated For Exercise & Fitness

7 Ways To Get Motivated For Your Workout
By: Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
www.TurbulenceTraining.com

There will be days (everyday?) when you don't feel like doing your workout.

Sometimes you don't want to get out of bed.

Sometimes you don't want to leave your office because you feel like there are too many deadlines (but this is when you need a workout the most!).

Sometimes you don't want to end story time with the kids only to head down to the basement gym.

It even happens to me.

But I knew how I'd feel like a million bucks after the workout.

And in the end, I know I can't let myself become "soft" and start skipping workouts. I have to lead by example.

But if you are set on achieving a goal, then when it's workouttime, come heck or high water you've got to bear down and do the job.

So here are 7 ways to get motivated for your workout and to get you inspired to get through your workout.

1. Reward yourself. Finish your workout and treat yourself to a magazine, a TV show, some extra time with your family, some new songs for your IPOD, or even a little extra time for yourself.

2. Or set up a punishment for missing workouts. Skip the workout, put $20 into a jar to spend on home repairs. Make sure your spouse controls the jar.

3. Review your goals everyday and every night. Keeping your goals fresh in your mind will help you stay on track.

4. Realize that the hardest part of the workout is often getting your butt to the gym. Once you get 5 minutes into the workout, you will be over the hump. So tell yourself, "I'll just go in and do 1 set of the first 2 exercises, then I can go". Next thing you know, you'll have done the entire workout.

5. Visualize yourself doing a great workout and finishing strong. Get yourself mentally prepared and you will literally have better workouts each time.

6. Crank the tunes. Seriously, nothing motivates like music.

7. Get social support. If you have a workout partner, you'll feel like crap if you let them down. Or become accountable to everyone in the Turbulence Training workout forums...if you don't post your workouts, they'll track you down and demand to know why you've fallen off track! So online or offline, get everyone on your side!

Now get out there and kick the fat to the curb.

Craig Ballantyne, turbulencetraining.com

Saturday, January 26, 2008

Top Brands Exercise Machines

Two Top - Reviewed Brands of Exercise Machines
By Lance Davidson

In the arena of workout equipment and exercise machines, there are a couple of names that stand out. In this piece, we will try to give you a little more insight into these brands.

One such brand is York home equipment. York's equipment includes treadmills, elliptical machines, exercise bikes, and rowing equipment. They now offer new "exercise while you play" equipment as well. The kilowatt system doesn't have any weights, plates or cables attached. You use your own body like a joystick of a video game and you can exercise as well as play!

For people who enjoy boxing and similar sports, York offers punching and swivel bags, shoes, gloves, etc. They also cover Martial Arts with their target and kick bags. For weight training, they carry the light York home gym equipment that is perfect for home workouts. Exercise machines and equipment such as dumbbells, braces, lat bars, incline and decline benches will definitely work different parts of your body like legs, arms and torso, giving you a full body workout.

Another equipment giant is Spirit. Spirit has been committed to making machines for over 20 years. This brand is manufactured in Jonesboro, Arkansas by Spirit Manufacturing, Inc. The pieces retail around $1,000-$2,000. The treadmills feature heavy-duty chassis and motors for optimum wear. The machines have powder-coated steel frames and stable inclines as well as balanced fly-wheels for a vibration-free running and walking platform.

They also carry the best warranties in the industry, upwards of 30 years. With models such as the X-T475, X-T375, and XT-175, you are sure to find an exercise machine to suit your needs. Spirit treadmills seem to be competing well with other brands. When it comes to quality reports and warranties, the latest exercise machines are receiving rave reviews and high praise!

Find the perfect exercise machine to get you in shape FAST at http://www.treadmillguy.info including platform treadmills.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Fast Weight Loss Exercise Programs

For many people, losing weight is their first priority. From my own experience, I notice that those people who succeed in weight loss are those who have strong determination and discipline to stick with healthy diets and regular exercise.

Effective fat-burning exercise program doesn't need to be complicated. You will achieve your goal as long as you follow a healthy lifestyle and exercise regularly. In this post, I am going to share with you the exercise program by outlining an interval workout

Warm up is very important to prepare your muscles for an exercise activity. So make sure you do at least 5 to 10 minutes of warm up by stretching or jogging slowly.

If you're serious in losing weight, you should focus on interval training because it's a very effective form of exercise. The interval training routine is very simple, you perform a short burst but intense exercise followed by a recovery period. This routine is repeated over a period of time (20 minutes, 40 minutes or more), depending on your stamina.

Below is a sample of 20 minutes interval workout. Depending on your fitness level or stamina, you may want to increase or cut the period of time, but normally 20 minutes is good for most people. Make sure you do the full amount of time of warm up and cool down.


You will be able to lose weight and burn lot of fat FAST if you follow the interval training routine regularly and stick to healthy diets.

For more info on interval training, go to turbulence training.

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Inspiratory Muscle Trainer Can Help Older People To Exercise More

As we age, our respiratoty functions also decline...

This is one of the main reasons that's hampering the older adults to exercise. If older people are deterred from exercicing, their physical health can also decline quickly.

But, there is a technology called "inspiratory muscle trainer" that can help older people to exercise more easily. It's a small device that applies resistance as the user inhales through a valve. Study has shown that this device helps older people to gain breathing-muscle strength so that they can increase their physical activity.

Read the full story below....

Exercise During Pregnancy Helps You Keep Healthy

If you pregnant, it is natural that you will have several questions in your mind about pregnancy symptoms, exercise, diet and what to do and what not to do while pregnant. Moreover, the first thing that comes to your mind is whether it is safe to exercise during pregnancy, as you want to stay fit and in shape but without compromising on the health of your unborn baby.

Myth Broken

It is a myth that exercises can be harmful to the unborn as well as the mother. In fact, physical movements are beneficial for both the mother and the child, as it not only reduces physical discomfort, but also reduces stress and labor length. Here is a list of general frequently asked questions with answers about exercise during pregnancy:

Is It Safe To Do Workouts?

Working out while being pregnant is not only safe but also healthy, provided you do not have any complications during the pregnancy period. However, it is recommended to consult your doctor or mid-wives and take their approval.

Why Is Exercise Necessary?

As per a research, working out or mild exercise during pregnancy helps in reducing backaches and swelling of ankles, and constipation, which are some of the most common problems faced by pregnant women. In addition, it also gives energy and makes you feel fresh.

Does Exercise Help During Pregnancy?

The answer is 'Yes'. Exercising promotes muscles, strength, and endurance, thereby, helping the mother to carry the weight gained during this period.

I Do A Rigorous Workout. Is It Safe?

According to a study in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, healthy, well-conditioned women who exercised before pregnancy may continue to do so throughout pregnancy, without compromising their baby's health or development.

For How Long Should I Exercise?

The workout should be approximately 45 minutes long and should include warm-ups, the actual workout and cool downs.

What Precautions Do I Need To Take While Exercising, As I Had Never Worked Out Before?

Talk to doctor or midwife, and as far as you have the permission to proceed from them, you can engage yourself in mild exercise, like walking or swimming.

Immediately After The Birth Of My Child, What Exercises Can I Do To Regain My Shape?

Make sure you are physically ready before you start with the process of regaining you shape. Once you think you are fit to start with the exercise, begin with stretching and firming exercises and then gradually adding to the second set of exercises.

Just remember that you need to follow normal exercise safety aspects like, drinking lots of water, stopping immediately if you feel any pain etc. Most importantly, remember to speak to your doctor before starting any exercise regime.

Under the supervision of a doctor, exercise during pregnancy can be highly beneficial. The unwanted pregnancy symptoms can be greatly overcome if pregnant women opt to exercise. For more information please visit http://www.pregnancy-period.com.

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Three Great Bodyweight Exercises For Fat Burning

Here are 3 great bodyweight exercises you can do anytime, anywhere to help you burn fat fast and stay energized. You don't need to buy any fancy equipment.

1. Single-Leg Exercise:
The single-leg squat to the floor exercise is one of the most effective bodyweight workout. You can also do single-leg squats with a band, or with a Stability Ball between your back and the wall.

2. Decline Push-ups
These are harder than normal pushups because your feet are elevated. In this position, you can use a close-grip to fatigue your triceps, a "piked-hip position" to build your shoulders, or even the Spiderman leg motion to work on your abs.

3. Bodyweight Inverted Rows
Most people choose these over chinups and pullups because bodyweight rows let your chest rest, while your back is strengthened. It's the perfect compliment to a pushup.

Do 8-12 repetitions per exercise. Don't rest between exercises. Go through the circuit up to 3 times, resting 1 minute after each circuit.

Go to Turbulence Training for more workout tips that can get you in shape fast.

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Health And Home Fitness Can Begin At Home

Here are some tips on getting healthy without a gym membership



Better health and losing weight are almost always top the New Year resolution list for most people. If this sounds like your new year goal, this article is for you. You don't need a gym membership to improve your health and lose weight in the process.

Purchasing the correct home exercise equipment, creating a discipline and motivation to work out at and around the house are all you need to help you reach your goals.

Here are some tips to help you get started with better health and fitness this year:

* First, check with your doctor to see if your current health can take a new fitness routine. Let your doctor know that you want to start a fitness exercise routine at home.

* Buy a home exercise equipment. You don't need to buy an expensive equipment to start with, if you're on a budget, check out Bodylastics Home Gym. You can get a complete set of home gym equipment under $50 and they also provide complete video tutorials for you to follow instructions. You can also buy hand weights to build tone and strength. Other more expensive equipment is a treadmill, this will help with heart health and endurance.

* If you're on a budget, not to worry! There are many low-cost home fitness programs available nowadays. For example, home exercise videos, many of the home video fitness programs focus on using your own body to provide resistance.

* If exercise at home doesn't appeal to you, then go outside. Many outdoor activities, jogging, fast-walking, skiing, cycling and playing with children are some examples and they are great ways to increase physical activity.

* If weight loss is your ultimate goal, be realistic about your goal. Losing 1 or 2 pounds a week is reasonable, but it might take a while to see the effects.

* Get support from friends and family. Having a small team for working out is a great way to get you motivated and focus on your goals.

Note that you should get at least 20 to 30 minutes of cardio exercise 5 or 6 days a week, strength training is also very important for staying fit and healthy. For more ideas on health and home fitness, check out: "Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle".

Friday, January 11, 2008

Exercise Regularly To Reverse Heart Failure

Studies upon studies had shown that daily exercise can help to reverse the effects of heart failure. Exercise increases the growth of new muscle cells and blood vessels that are often damaged in patients with heart disease.

Heart disease such as congestive heart failure is a chronic condition and it can be caused by a number of things such as high blood pressure and clogged arteries.

Regular exercise not only can reverse the patterns of muscle and blood vessels damage but it's also very effective to lower high blood pressure.

Researchers at the University of Leipzig in Germany reported that regular exercise increases the progenitor cells (which is a type of cells that repair damage muscle cells and blood vessels) by 166 percentage in both men and women. They also found a six-fold increase in the formation of muscle-repairing cells for active individuals. Replacement of muscle cells is exactly what patients with heart disease need. No increase of progenitor cells were found in people who are inactive most of the time.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 5 million people in the U.S. have heart failure. It's an alarming statistics due to unhealthy lifestyle and lack of exercise.

I hope this short post can motivate you to live healthy and exercise regularly.

Thursday, January 10, 2008

20 Minutes High Intensity Interval Training Routine


Do you know that high intensity interval training is very effective for fat loss? In one of the studies, researchers at Laval University in Quebec compared slow, steady aerobic training with interval training in a fat loss study. The researchers were shocked to find that the interval training group lost more fat than the cardio group.

Here is a 20 minutes high intensity interval training routine you can follow...

It consists of 5 minutes warm up, 4 minutes fast-pace + 6 minutes slow-pace, and then 5 minutes cool down.

For example, if you're going to run, follow the routine below...

- Warm up with light running for 5 minutes.

- Then run with hard or fast pace for 1 minute.

- Then slow down with light running again for 2 minutes.

- Repeat for a total of 4 intervals (for 10 minutes).

- Then finish with 5 minutes of low intensity (or light running) for a cool-down.

The table of your interval training routine should look something like the following....


For more information on high intensity interval training, check out "Turbulence Training for Fat Loss".

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Four Fat Burning Strategies That Work


Here are 4 fat burning strategies I learned from Turbulence Training that work...

Strategy #1 - Green Tea & Almonds

To prevent you from eating too much at a party, one of the most common tips you'll hear is to eat a little snacks before you go out. Unfortunately, this tip doesn't work for many people. Many still go to a party and end up eating too much.

Recently I discovered that having a cup of Green Tea and one ounce of almonds will help you to avoid the cravings at the party better than anything I've ever tried before. The fiber from the almonds reduces appetite while the small amount of caffeine from the Green Tea increases your mental alertness and keep you energized at the party. It's a great combination! Try it and see if it works for you...

Strategy #2 - Focus on good Nutrition and don't waste time on any fancy cardio programs.

Here are some nutrition tips:

  • Focus on portion control.
  • Avoid calorie drinks or beverages. Drink water instead.
  • Write down everything you eat to identify your problem spots. Then do whatever you need to do to eliminate your weaknesses. If you don't record your nutrition, chances are you'll miss big opportunities to change your diet and lose fat.

Strategy #3 - Take care of yourself first.

Have you set aside time for yourself? When it comes to exercise, please be selfish! Set aside time to do exercise regularly, treat the time you spend for exercise as a life-long investment. Regular exercise will pay you BIG dividend, it gives you "GOOD HEALTH". So make sure you have had some exercise time for yourself, some good nutrition, and some good rest before doing too much for other people.

Strategy #4 - Take the opportunity to exercise in short bursts whenever possible.

Don't be afraid to dance at a party. Don't worry, there is bound to be at least one worse dancer than you. Just have fun and get down to business!

Get out of your bed 15 minutes early then perform a 12-15 Turbulence Training workouts.

Implement the above strategies and stay healthy and fit for life!

Friday, January 4, 2008

Health And Fitness Tips: Stay on the fitness track


Making a new year resolution has become a tradition for many people. It's an opportunity for us to forget the past and move on to a better future. But unfortunately when it comes to making a health and fitness resolution, most people can't stick to it. People tend to fall back to their old habits after about one month.

If you're looking for some suggestions on how to keep your health and fitness resolution on track, you've come to the right place. In this article, you will learn some great tips on how to plan and stick to a successful health and fitness programme.

There are tons of excuses for not sticking to a health and fitness resolution and the two most common excuses across the board are LACK of TIME and/or MONEY. Perhaps you've heard all these excuses before. Something like... "can't set aside few hours each day for exercise or can't afford a gym membership or expensive home gym equipments".

Well, the truth is that getting into shape doesn't need you to put aside hours of your time each day or buy an expensive equipment or join a gym membership. Here are some suggestions for you to burn some calories in your body...

- If your house and office are within a walking distance, take the opportunity to walk to work or home as many times as possible. If you take public transport to work, stop somewhere nearby and then walk the remaining distance.

- If your company has stairs, make use of them.

- When you're working, use your breaks to take a walk and stretch out.

- Form a small fitness group with your colleagues. Being around with people who have the same goals can be very encouraging and motivating.

Remember that every additional step you take during the day can help to burn extra calories and move you closer to your goal.

If you prefer to exercise at home, there are many simple strength exercises you can perform easily in just minutes a day without any fancy or expensive equipment. Some examples are push-ups, crunches, squats and lunges. All these exercises are great in strengthening a particular muscle group and burning extra calories. You use your own body weight for resistance. And you can also include additional strength exercises using inexpensive resistance bands that cost under $40. See Bodylastics Home Gym.

When it comes to diet, the most important thing to pay attention to is NUTRITION. It's so important to follow good nutrition principles when you're trying to improve your body. Here are four best fat burning nutrition tips for you...

1. Eat several small meals per day rather than 2-3 large meals.

2. Be aware of what you eat. Small changes can make a big difference. For example: drink water instead of higher calorie drinks.

3. Know how many calories you should take per day to maintain your bodyweight.

4. If you want to lose weight, reduce your food intake. For example, when ordering a restaurant meal, ask for the lunch portion or box half of the meal.

The bottom line is that regular exercise and healthy diet are the greatest gifts that you give yourself. With consistency and discipline, you will stay on the fitness track and lead a more happy and healthy life.

For a complete information on exercise and healthy diets, check out "Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle".

Workout Videos: A Great Home Workout Plan


If you always find yourself giving excuses for not exercising because of lousy weather then perhaps you may want to set up a home workout plan. Do you know that studies show that lousy weather is one of the biggest reasons for not exercising? If you have a home workput plan, it will keep you going no matter what's happening outside.

It's easy to set up a home workout plan, all you need is a VCR and one workout videotapes or two.

Exercise Anytime, Anywhere with workout videos

Perhaps the greatest benefit of exercise videos is that you can use them anytime and anywhere. No need to worry about a class schedule. Many people thought they had to go to the gym to workout. With workout videos, you set your own schedule and save precious time having to travel to the gym. With exercise videos, you got a gym if you got a TV. You can exercise at the click of a remote. Even if you're travelling or go on a vacation, you can take your workout videos along with you. They will help you to stay active.

So never think that you have to go a gym to stay fit, a simple home workout plan is sufficient to keep you going.

Click here to watch a collection of home exercise videos.

Thursday, January 3, 2008

Ten Exercise Ideas For Kids


If you have kids and you want some great ideas on how to engage them in exercising regularly, this article is for you.

Many kids today are so immersed in TV and video games; exercise is not a part of their daily routine. Since obesity has become a pandemic in our society, especially among children, it is important to establish an exercise program early on so that kids will not view exercise as something they dislike, but rather something they enjoy.

Here are some great exercise ideas to help you incorporate physical activity into your child's daily routine.

* Sports - Does your child belong to a sports team? Whether it is baseball, football, soccer or football, ensure they have signed up for after school sports activities.

* Indoor exercise - Do you have a home gym or an area set aside for exercise? Utilize an exercise DVD that you and your kids can participate in at a certain time during the day.

* Shoot some hoops - The entire family can play a game of basketball after dinner each night. Spending an hour exercising after dinner is also great for the digestive system.

* Handball - This is a great activity for kids. You can utilize the park area and play a few games. This is wonderful for younger kids to learn hand/eye coordination as well.

* Bike riding - Whether with family or friends, this is one activity most kids love to engage in either at your local park or around the neighborhood.

* Family walks - A 30-45 minute walk after dinner with the entire family is not only wonderful exercise for the kids, but the entire family as well.

* A daily walk with your kids is another activity encompassing fresh air and exercise. Whether it’s a trip to the local supermarket, pharmacy, or walking around the neighborhood, this routine is perhaps the best way to keep your kids active.

* Jogging - At a specific time each day, take your kids to the park and use the local track to begin a jogging routine. Utilize musical accompaniment with an MP3 player or iPod to keep up the pace.

* Chores - Whether it’s helping with chores inside the home, or cleaning up the back yard, this is a great way to engage kids in exercise.

* Walking the dog - Exercise can be as simple as walking the family dog or a neighbor's pet after school or after dinner.

No matter what the exercise, it is important to teach your kids to engage in some form of daily activity to strengthen their bodies and keep them active both mentally and physically. This is important especially during the winter months when cold weather tends to keep children indoors more.