Family Fitness Fun

Debi Pillarella M.Ed.

Debi Pillarella, M.Ed., C.P.T. is the Exercise Program Manager at The Community Hospital Fitness Pointe. She is an A.C.E. certified Personal Trainer, Group Fitness Professional, and Advanced Health & Fitness Specialist.

Debi serves as the National Youth Fitness Spokesperson for A.C.E. She lives in Munster with her husband, Jim and two children Joe (age 12) and Luke (age 10). For more information on Fitness Pointe's Youth Fitness Programs, call (219) 924-5348.

Special Thanks to the following:

Tracy Oedzes -- Certified Personal Trainer and Mom

Kyle and Abby Oedzes

Lena and Blake Newton

Joe and Luke Pillarella

Kids are not "miniature" adults, so traditional exercise programming recommendations don't fare well. If you ask kids about participating in a traditional "exercise" class (i.e. aerobics, calisthenics, etc) most will tell you it's boring and they don't want to join. However, if we transform "exercise" into fitness "play" and focus on having fun while being active, we're sure to have them coming back, asking for more. As far as us parents, not many of us can spend as much time working out as we should, so what better way to shape up, burn calories and bond with our children than to make fitness a family affair.

Disclaimer:

This program provides general family fitness recommendations for apparently "healthy" children and their families. Check with your physician for specific recommendations regarding your participation in the suggested activities.

Modify activities as needed. Do NOT work through pain or discomfort. Begin each session with the warm "up" then add each week's activity to provide variety and fun. Start with 10-15 minutes of fitness play and work up to 30-60 minutes on most days of the week. Finish up each session by cooling down, re-hydrating, stretching, and talking with your kids about being healthy and fit. Kids are natural movers who LOVE start/stop activities as opposed to sustained ones (i.e. running for 45 minutes non-stop). So, give 'em frequent breaks, keep 'em hydrated with water, and let them have fun!

WEEK THREE OF SIX

Family Walking Intervals

Take advantage of the summer evenings to enjoy a walk with your family. You'll not only gain quality ‘bonding' time, but also earn cardiovascular, stress reduction and general health benefits. Spice up your walks by adding this week's fun interval. Integrate the following activity for 30-60 second intervals every few minutes.

Family Walking Goal = 20-45 minute walk

Photo - Flags In Place

Using colored flags or bandanas, have the family complete the following activities:

Red= Muscle Freeze

Yellow = March in Place

Green = Run in Place