MOM TALK: Fit Families

As the weather warms up, keeping fit has never been easier.

Especially next week while the kids are on break from school, get out there and take advantage of the beautiful city we live in while enjoying some sunshine.

Or if you prefer to exercise indoors, there are plenty of ways to stay fit at home. Mountain View also offers plenty of active classes for all ages at its Community Center and through the Parks and Recreations Department.

Consider the following options:

• Go for a ride. Pack a picnic and ride your bikes to a nearby park or head over to the Mountain View Farmer’s Market on a Sunday morning.

• Kick the ball around. Between ,  and there are plenty of wide open spaces that lend themselves perfectly to an impromtu game of soccer or freeze tag.

• Try something new together. Maybe you hit and give kayaking a try or pick up Dance Dance Revolution for your Wii.

• Attend a class. The Jewish Community Center in nearby Palo Alto offers a Family Fit Camp class on Sundays where parents and children exercise together. The offers a variety of dance and athletic classes for youth. Many classes are held at the Community Center, within , so you could go for a walk or a jog with a friend while your child gets exercise with their peers.

• Run-a-race together. More often than not, local races have both children and adult events. For example, the Running of the Bulls race takes place in nearby Palo Alto every spring and the "Stevens Creek Trailblazer" Race happens in Cupertino in the fall.

• Have an afternoon dance party or wrestling match. Sometimes taking a few minutes to inject some physical activity into your day can be the perfect stress reliever and energy booster you and your kids need. Take a study break, pick a few tunes, blast the stereo and let loose. Just ten or fifteen minutes of a living room dance party or wrestling match will do wonders for your waistline—and your mood!

• Take a hike. If you haven’t done so already, explore the Baylands! There are a multitude of trails to choose from within Mountain View, Los Altos, Palo Alto, and Sunnyvale. You won’t have to travel far to find the perfect spot for an afternoon stroll with the family.

 Happy Exercising!