Make exercise fun for kids so they stick with it for life

The den mother was a little surprised by what she had witnessed at her boys' most recent meeting. The night's topic was health and fitness, and their leader was putting the young scouts through their paces.

The group of 7-year-olds had been instructed to jog in place, but most of the boys were winded and ready to throw in the towel after the first minute. Granted, it was the end of a busy day of classes and homework, but these young scouts should have been full of energy.

Could it be, the mom wondered, that her scouts were already well on the way to becoming out-of-shape couch potatoes? Possibly, but if she and other parents keep up their efforts, these kids can still get in shape and stay in shape.

Encouraging physical activity can be a bit of a challenge these days when electronic entertainment entices kids indoors, both mom and dad often work until dark, and parents are understandably reluctant to send their kids to bike and play out of sight.

But exercise has undeniable benefits for all ages. In its Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005, the U.S. Department of Agriculture notes that physically fit individuals have a decreased risk of developing chronic diseases. Increased physical activity has also been linked to a lower overall mortality rate and can even help combat milder forms of depression and anxiety.

The USDA recommends that adolescents and children 2 years and older engage in at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity most, if not all, days of the week. Since time may be a limiting factor, experts suggest fitting workouts into your child's schedule: one 60-minute period, two 30-minute sessions, or even six 10-minute bursts of physical activity.

While weight control is important and often the initial motivator, it is not the only goal of regular exercise. Researchers at the USDA stress that kids and adults should also engage in a variety of physical activities in order to achieve cardiovascular conditioning, flexibility, muscle strength and endurance.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention agrees but also suggests easing inactive kids into their 60-minute-plus exercise routines. Children, just like adults, need to work up to this higher level of physical activity. Kids and their parents should also start with realistic, attainable goals ("I'll bike 15 minutes today!") so they don't become discouraged early on and head right back to that favorite gaming system or remote control.

Other CDC recommendations include helping your children choose activities they find fun; making sure the activity is age-appropriate and safe; limiting indoor video game/TV time to no more than two hours per day; and letting your kids see that you, their grown-up parents, also eat healthy diets and enjoy participating in regular physical activity.