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HealthWiseFitness for the FamilyByBrian DzubinskiIn today’s fast-paced world, it can be challenging for familiesto find the time for physical activity or fitness. In fact, mostfamilies do not participate in physical activity at all according tothe latest research. This is directly related to the increase inobesity, heart disease, diabetes and other serious healthproblems. Fitness promotes many health benefits in addition togiving families a chance to spend more quality time with oneanother, away from the television. Start increasing your family’squality of life by implementing family fitness nights. Here aresome tips to get you started but be creative with this because thesky is the limit.1. Make it Fun.Instead of watching television at night, play games thatinvolve physical activity and use these games to help teach yourchildren about your family’s values, beliefs and any other lifelessons that you can incorporate. Remember to be creative withthese activities, since they can only bring your family closertogether while increasing everyone’s chance at a healthier morefulfilling life.2. Include the Community.In Florida, since we have so many communities, it is possibleto include the neighborhood families as well. An example of thiswould be to start an annual Family Olympics day where familiescan compete against one another in different events. Along withthis, you can serve healthy snacks and have discussions about avariety of topics such as nutrition, harmful effects of drugs andalcohol, and anything else you find pertinent to the event. Withevents that involve competition, make sure the focal point is onthe fun and not the competition.3. The Little Things.Sometimes it’s the little things that are most important. Youcan turn a day of household chores into an event whileincorporating the whole family. Remember to make it fun andalways compliment your children on the great job they are doing.4. Leave a Fitness Legacy.Similar to leaving your children a photo or a valuedheirloom, a love of fitness can be passed down from onegeneration to the next. This is a gift that your entire family canvalue for life.5. All Together.It’s not always easy to find activities that appeal to allgenerations. However, walking as a family is something simplethat everyone can do. For families with young children or infants,