Being active doesn't have to mean joining a gym. Exercise can also be great fun socially and gives you more energy.

Try a few of these everyday tips to keep your body moving without even realizing you're doing it - and hopefully have some fun along the way!

Ideas for children's games:

  • Follow the leader! Have your child follow you around the house or garden. March, jog, skip, hop and dance. Younger children can crawl under tables and jump over small obstacles. If you're indoors, put on some music and add fun dance steps on your journey around the house.
  • Red light, green light! This fun game should be played outdoors. Invite your child's friends to join in and ask them to line up on one side of the garden. Yell 'green light!' and see them take off. Whoever's not sitting on their bottoms on the other side of the garden by the time you yell 'red light!' is out of the game. The child who makes it to the other side of the garden first is the winner and gets to lead the next game. For the next game, get them to crawl, walk like a crab, hop or do leap-frog when the light turns green.
  • Play Tag! The youngest child gets to be 'It' first. When he tags someone, they join hands and have to tag another. The game continues until everyone is holding hands. Keep the play area small for children aged five and under, as they have a hard time catching each other. To continue the fun: Try tunnel tag - when tagged, you freeze and someone has to crawl between your legs to free you. Shadow tag - when 'It' steps on your shadow, you become 'It'.

Other ideas for the whole family:

  • Spring cleaning! Do some housework - vacuuming and dusting counts as exercise; and the house gets clean!
  • Out of milk? Walk - or cycle - instead of taking the car to the local shop.
  • Get outside for family fun in the park; play soccer, ride the swings, play tag.. To get 30 minutes of exercise, you can do it in three 10 minutes bursts spread through the day if you prefer.
  • Got some cool moves? Dancing is good fun for everyone, so why not get up and dance together; What could be a better cardio workout than shaking your body to the music? It's also a great way to introduce different dances to your children. Have a family disco!
  • It's a sunny day! Why not walk the "school run"?
  • Ducks to water!- whatever your ability, swimming at your local pool gives practically your whole body a really good workout.
  • Tour De France! Get the wind in your hair - dust off your family's bikes and go for spin. (Cycling burns off about 300 calories per hour).
  • Try gardening! No matter the size of your garden you can grow something. Get the kids involved too, they will love seeing the fruits of their work, watching the plants grow and maybe eating the fruit!