Welcome to the category of my blog simply called ‘Healthy Tips.’ Many times, when I write articles for various publications, I need to find sources for the story as seen in Yahoo Shine (click here) or PBS (click here) about staying healthy. I was looking for experts and non-experts to chime in and give their favorite ‘tips’ to help kids and adults lead a healthy lifestyle.

The feedback for various stories was amazing. The sources had some fantastic points of view that could not be ignored, and I thought their opinions should be viewed on the Your Health Journal web site.

So, enjoy my new series, with some ‘great’ insight from some ‘great’ people giving exceptional and educational points of view.

Suggestions / creative ideas to get families to exercise together

Begin to think of exercise as physical movement. Physical movement is what kids do naturally. Is it a challenge for families today to exercise together? Yes! Time, money, the digital age; there are always reasons and excuses. But if physical movement is built into the family time, and it’s fun, the kids won’t even know they are “exercising” (and parents might not catch on either). In fact, combine a couple of things that tend to fall off the list of “enjoyable” things to do…kill two birds with one stone. For example, make chores an activity; use music and sing along. Race against the clock or race against each other, and before you know it, your heart rate is up, the house is clean, and you have been active for an hour! Turn yard work such as raking leaves or pulling weeds into a game or competition. The body moves, calories are burned, and the job gets done. Play active games together.. Bring back your childhood favorites: hopscotch, jump rope, three legged races and even “capture the flag.” Don’t ever call it “exercise”! Say the word “play” to a child and they are there. So get out and play with your kids and have fun. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, a 150 lb. adult will burn up to 90 calories during 15 minutes of playing tag! Hopping burns 20 calories per minute. A little hopscotch anyone?

– Vicki Parsons is the Director of the Butler Community School at Ballet Austin. Vicki has over 25 years’ experience working in the field of Long Term Care, specifically in direct care as a Recreation Therapist, using therapeutic recreation as a treatment intervention to improve overall wellness. She has practiced in clinical, residential, and community settings, focusing on physical fitness and how it relates to a person’s recreation. Vicki taught a Therapeutic Recreation certification course at Austin Community College for 13 years. She holds current certifications in Senior Fitness, Group Exercise, Advanced Sports Nutrition, and is a certified Fitness Business Manager. She is currently teaching the Off Campus Physical Education TEKS classes at Ballet Austin and teaches the BCS Better Balance & Movement Workshop.