The weather is starting to turn colder and than means the kids will be inside more. At this time, our family, takes the most opportunities we can to have fun outside. Fortunately, for me, all of my kids are soccer players. They not only participate in organized teams, but spend time outside practicing their skills and playing soccer with each other. On September 24, 2011, Nickelodeon’s The Big Help is featuring The Worldwide Day of Play. This program is designed to help kids and families make healthy lifestyle choices. Clorox 2® is a sponsor of Nickelodeon’s 8th Annual Worldwide Day of Play.

It seems that many of there friends would rather watch TV or play video games than go outside. Unfortunately, this is becoming a trend in the US. Here are some things that we do to encourage our family to play outside.

• Participate in group sports such as soccer or baseball. These sports not only have games, but practices as well. We show up as a family to support each child and often the child on the sidelines is having fun running through the empty fields and playing with friends.
• Make a Bucket Full of Fun. Include in the bucket items that the kids can play with outside. I have a container that has bubbles, airplanes, water guns and other toys for outdoor play.
• Outside Games and Projects. The internet is a great resource for outdoor games and projects. I often find tons of ideas for things that we can do as a family outdoors.
• Check out Local Activities. No matter where you live, you should be able to find a walking path, hike or park that will encourage outdoor play.
• Try someplace new. If my kids are moving enough, I load them into the car and we try out a new park or activity that will catch their interest.
• Team Up. Find other moms or families that like to do the same things and do them together. We have friends that love to participate in 5K runs. We would have never done this as a family, but we had a blast when they invited us the first time and have done many events since.

Right now, Clorox 2® is encouraging families to take the pledge to play outside. You can make a pledge to play outside with your family and have a chance to win a trip to Yosemite National Park. Plus they are offering other great weekly prizes as well. You can find out more information on the Clorox2 Play 2Day Pledge hub, http://clorox2play2day.com.

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Clorox2® blogging program, for a gift card worth $40. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Mamavation is hosting a Twitter Party on Wednesday, January 5th from 8:00 to 10:00pm EST with Gamestop. The focus of the twitter party will be discovering all the ways your personal fitness goals can be personalized for the coming year. Plus, they will be discussing ways to get back into health with tips on how to start without leaving your home.

Panelists include:

1. @Bookieboo, Party Hostess, Mamavation Creator
2. @Resourcefulmom, Party Co-Host
3. @Momma_Oz, Panelist, Mamavation Graduate
4. @Rachelsteffen, Panelist, Mamavation Graduate
5. @FitInmyHeart, Panelist
6. @MissLori, Panelist

Plus, there will be giveaways! Visit the Mamavation page to read about how to enter to win the following great prizes:

1. GRAND PRIZE:Wii Bundle in black, white or red
The bundle comes with:
Black Wii System
Wii MotionPlus Remote
Wii Nunchuk Controller Black
Wii Sports
Wii Sports Resort
2. Biggest Loser Challenge
3. Biggest Loser Ultimate
4. EA Sports Active 2.0
5. Jillian Michaels FItness Ultimatum 2011 (2 winners)
6. Kinect Sports
7. Sony Move SPorts Champions Bundle
8. Your Shape Fitness Evolved
9. Wii Sports Resort

See you there!

I was reading through an old copy of Weight Watchers magazine, when I came across the Ultimate Walking Challenge. This issue featured part 6, so I headed online to see if I could find the beginning parts of the challenge. Walking can be a great fat burner and I thought that if I could start slow and build up, I could stick with it.

The first part of the challenge is weeks one through eight. One day one, you start out by walking 1/2 mile in 10 minutes. This is once around the block for me and I think this is doable. By the end of week eight you have worked your way up to 1 1/2 miles in 30 minutes.

If you are interested in walking and want to start a walking program that slowly builds, here are the links to the Ultimate Walking Challenge:

Part 1 (weeks 1-8)
Part 2 (weeks 9-16)
Part 3 (weeks 17-24)
Part 4 (weeks 25-32)
Part 5 (weeks 33-40)
Part 6 (weeks 41-48)

If you can’t make it to a gym and are finding that dieting and/or diet pills alone are not helping you lose weight, I found a walking boot camp that will get you moving!

This boot camp, formulated by Prevention magazine, will help you walk off two sizes in just six weeks. Best part – it is a totally free download. The plan combines high-energy calisthenics, strength, and agility drills with walking intervals. What makes this workout different? Chris Freytag, a Prevention fitness expert explains:

You work harder than you would if you were just walking or strength-training, but you don’t even notice because you’re constantly switching gears from one type of exercise to the next.

You can download the free program here.

It is starting to get very warm here in New Jersey. Fortunately, I am a duck and I get my exercise from flying around looking for great deals. I do look pretty dashing in a bathing suit!

If you do want to step up your exercise routine, you might want to invest in a treadmill. The good thing about treadmills is you can use them in all kinds of weather. You don’t have to worry about that afternoon thunder shower!

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If you are getting older like I am, you might notice that it is getting harder and harder to read the small print! There are many different kinds of magnifying glass can help those who have difficulties with small print. FirstStreetOnline.com is a shopping site dedicated to “Boomers and Beyond”. They offer lots of products that are usefully for older individuals (and those not so old as well!). Products include med centers, film scanners, sun protection, flashlights, wallets, etc., and they have reasonable prices.

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Ellipticals are great work out machines. They provide cardiovascular and aerobic exercise. The machines are easy enough for beginners to use yet still can provide a challenging workout for athletes. The best advantage to using an elliptical machine is the non-jarring and smooth feel of the workout. There are many people who can not use treadmills or run because of damaged knees. Ellipticals are smooth motion machines and avoid these problems.

When you are starting out, exercise for twenty minutes, 3 days a week. You should work up to a longer amount of time and more days as your fitness level improves.

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