I HATE Exercise!

park near my house

I hate to exercise. There, I admit it. I do love to be physically active; I just hate to exercise for the sake of exercise. I think that I am like a kid that way. For me, going to the gym is like when I had to do calisthenics in PE; it's BORING. So what me and the kids need is to have fun and not realize it's good for us.  If we're physically active and exercising then we are  multi-tasking (which all kids want to do anyway).
Although I have no disagreement with Michelle Obama's program Let's Move!, and I actually preach  its principles, I can be a contrarian.  And with that program there seems to be an emphasis on what's good for me, so it takes the fun out of it.  With children, it is always important to have a good time and remember where they are developmentally, so you make sure the activities are ones that are fun for all.

Lets start with babies.  They want to move.  They want to explore their environment.  First they roll, then it's scoot, crawl, walk and finally RUN.  You can't keep them down.  All you have to do is take them outside and they will be physically active.  And if you want to get your exercise, join them!  (Many years ago a famous pro football player supposedly did everything his baby did and couldn't keep it up.  He stated it was worse than any football practice he had ever attended.)
Next is the toddler.   I can't tell you how many parents have asked me if their two year old has ADHD (Attention Deficit HYPERACTIVITY Disorder). I explain that no, two year olds are not hyperactive, they are just two.  Kids  naturally love to run around and it's just with time that we become couch potatoes. We need to find activities that our children love at an early age and that they will continue to want to do as they get older.
When our children are little they are curious about everything, including snakes, but because they have short attention spans they move on.  They also love to spend time with their parents.  We get to pick the activities and they should be varied.   Since you are going to be doing them you should pick something that you enjoy doing as a family and can afford. Realize that you have to be open to trying more than one thing because just because you love it doesn't mean your kid will.

Start small. Take them "exploring".  Walk around your neighborhood and be prepared to stop often. This is the "stream" at the bottom of the canyon behind our house. The picture above is the park that is within walking distance up and down hills close to my house. When my daughter was little it had very little playground equipment but there were hills to find hidden treasures and streams (only after the rains) to look for fish that didn't exist.  Don't bring a stroller.  They need to learn to build up their leg muscles.
As she got older I taught her to swim, ride a bike, throw a ball.  Just like I made time to read to her, I made time to be outdoors with her.  Because I valued these things, she learned that they were important.  Obviously, she went to school and got an education; from others she  took dance lessons, learned to ski and participated in AYSO soccer.  But, she knew that I valued physical activity because I did it with her from the time she was a baby, just like she learned that I valued education, reading and good food. 

Nothing teaches like example from an early age.  We continue to have fun and be active as a family.  Why not start planning your family good times today?