Babyboomers.com

As family schedules change in the hustle and bustle of a new school year, parents often take an unintentional vacation from exercise.

It’s easy to stay physically active during the long, warm days of summer, when family bike rides, walks, swims and golf outings and other recreational sports activities are at their peak. But what happens when the kids return to school?

“Most families experience a big shift when school begins,” states fitness expert Judi Sheppard Missett, founder of Jazzercise. “Schedules often become much more structured, but parents can use this to their advantage when it comes to exercise.”

Missett offers the following tips for maintaining a regular exercise program as summer slips into fall.

• Map out the family’s weekly schedule, then look for blocks of time when you can exercise. Perhaps there’s an hour or two while the kids are in school. Or maybe you can coordinate your workouts with their sports practices or extra-curricular activities.
• Enlist the support/participation of family members. For example, alternate workout evenings with your spouse. One of you can head to the gym on Mondays and Wednesdays, the other on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Your kids get quality time with each parent, and you save the cost of a babysitter. Or, schedule workout “dates” twice a week when you go to the health club together. Many fitness facilities offer family activities as well, so everyone can get in on the action.
• Invest in some home exercise equipment. If you simply can’t get away for your regular workout, Missett suggests having a back-up workout accessible at home. “Stationary bikes, treadmills, rowing machines and stair climbers provide great aerobic conditioning,” she states. “But fitness videos are also effective and much less expensive. Add some handweights and a resistance ball or tube, and you can get a well-rounded workout right at home.”
• Find new exercise partners. When family members are no longer readily available to join you for exercise, try calling a friend or joining an exercise class or recreational sports league. It’s a great way to get a workout and expand your social circle!

“Every fall, new and former students return to my Jazzercise classes,” notes Missett. “Not only do they find it works well with their school-year schedules, it provides a social outlet as the temperatures begin to drop and people spend more time indoors.”

With 4,700+ franchises in all 50 U.S. states and 38 countries, Jazzercise is the world’s largest dance-fitness program. For information on local classes, call 1(800) FIT-IS-IT or (760) 434-2101.

Courtesy of Article Resource Association, www.aracopy.com