Reprinted from the Health District's quarterly publication mailed to district residents (Fall 2007)

With school back in session, the pace of family life ramps up a notch.

Kids need rides nearly everywhere — to school, to practice, back home. When schedules are tight, exercise often slips on the priority list.

One way for parents to make room for physical activity without sacrificing time spent with their children is to find activities that involve the whole family, says Talisa Gula-Yeast, a physical activity counselor at the Health District.

Weekends are the perfect time to hike one of Fort Collins’ many natural areas or bike the trail system — both are free. Gula-Yeast suggests checking the newspaper for listings of family-oriented events that are both fun and interactive.

Cleaning up the yard in the fall is another opportunity for family time.

“It sounds like work, but the key is to make it fun,” she says. “When you’re having fun, you’re even more motivated, and you lose track of time.”

Listening to music during gardening or housecleaning can make these tasks seem less like chores, she says.

Kids find games like tag to be even more fun when parents join in what is typically child’s play, she says.

Even DVD’s have gotten into the act, moving from passive viewing to interactive exercise games such as Nintendo’s “Wii Sports” and the “Dance Dance Revolution” series for PlayStation. Gula-Yeast has used both in teaching students.

Opportunities for exercise might look a little different for parents with young children. A child’s nap time is one obvious window. Strollers, sleds and backpacks for carrying a child are perfect tools for helping adults get moving. Lifting your small child overhead (carefully, of course) or doing lunges while holding your child lets you exercise and bond, Gula-Yeast says.

“The laundry and dishes can wait,” she says. “Pay yourself first when it come to doing what makes you feel better.”

A good support system, such as a spouse, family member or friend who is positive and motivating, can help turn exercise into a habit. If you don’t have a buddy, find ways to reward yourself for sticking to your goals, Gula-Yeast says.

Regardless of your route, it’s never too late to pick up exercise again.

“Keep positive and stay in the here and now,” she says. “Focus on what activities you are interested in and capable of doing, rather than dwell on what you no longer do.

“Each season is a new excuse to start on the right foot again.”