Your Challenge: Get Your Family Fit In 2011

Do you start every new year by resolving to exercise more? You need a program like the President’s Challenge, which will help you and your family commit to daily physical activity, set realistic goals and track your progress during the year – plus it’s free! Here’s what you can do to make your resolution a reality.

Study the program. Go to www.presidentschallenge.org. Talk to your doctor to see if it’s right for you and your family. Sign up as an individual, start a group (a school class) or join one (it’s a worldwide program).

Know the goals. Adults (over 18) need to be active 30 minutes/day at least five days a week for six out of eight weeks. Or, achieve 8,500 steps/day on a pedometer. Kids need to be active 60 minutes/day in the same time frame.

Choose your challenge. Take the Adult Fitness Test (on the website) to estimate your level of aerobic fitness, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility and body composition. Kids and teens take the Physical Fitness Test, which includes curl-ups, shuttle run and endurance run/walk. You’ll take these tests over again to see how your fitness changes during the program.

Improve your fitness. You’ll add exercises according to the FITT principle: F (Frequency); I (Intensity); T (Time) and T (Type).

Choose from 100 activities, from biking or swimming to walking, dancing, yoga or skating. You can even choose the interactive video game, Wii Sports.

Move on to the Presidential Active Lifestyle Award Challenge or the President’s Champions Challenge. These activities will help make physical fitness an integral part of your everyday life.

Enjoy the benefits. You’ll know you’re helping your heart, building stronger bones, maintaining a healthy weight and having fun with your family.