http://familyfitness.about.com/ Get the latest headlines from the About.com http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hh http://www.about.com/ 118 20 en-us 2012-02-20T08:28:57Z Mon, 20 Feb 2012 08:28:57 +0000 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 http://familyfitness.about.com/b/2012/02/22/motor-skills-timeline.htm <p><img src="http://0.tqn.com/h/familyfitness/1/9/P/-/-/-/walking_push_toy.jpg" alt="Baby walking with push toy" align="right" />It must have been a mother who first coined the proverb, "We must learn to walk before we can run." After all, they spend many hours watching their children master first sitting, then crawling, cruising, standing, walking, and finally running. <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://familyfitness.about.com/od/preschoolers/a/Gross-Motor-Skills-Development.htm">Gross motor skills development</a> happens in a fairly predictable pattern, although of course children themselves are far from predictable.</p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://familyfitness.about.com/b/2012/02/22/motor-skills-timeline.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://familyfitness.about.com/b/2012/02/22/motor-skills-timeline.htm Wed, 22 Feb 2012 08:32:59 +0000 2012-02-22T08:32:59Z http://familyfitness.about.com/b/2012/02/20/sports-for-kids-with-asthma.htm <p>Like almost all children, <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://familyfitness.about.com/od/gettingkidsmoving/a/Fitness-For-Kids-With-Asthma.htm">kids with asthma</a> benefit from exercise. But they also can suffer from exercise-induced asthma, where exercise sets off coughing, shortness of breath, or even a full-blown asthma attack. If your child has asthma, he can still play sports. Talk with his doctor about the best ways to treat and prevent exercise-induced asthma, and get to know the triggers that most affect your kid--sometimes that's cold weather, or playing outside when the pollen count is high.</p> http://familyfitness.about.com/b/2012/02/20/sports-for-kids-with-asthma.htm Mon, 20 Feb 2012 08:28:57 +0000 2012-02-20T08:28:57Z http://familyfitness.about.com/b/2012/02/17/exercise-for-a-cause.htm <p>There are dozens of apps and gadgets that track physical activity. They can help you stick to a fitness plan, motivate you to <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://familyfitness.about.com/od/motivation/ss/fitnesschalleng.htm">challenge yourself</a> just a little more, or just satisfy a need for data and stats. But did you know there's a program that tracks your activity for a good cause?</p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://familyfitness.about.com/b/2012/02/17/exercise-for-a-cause.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://familyfitness.about.com/b/2012/02/17/exercise-for-a-cause.htm Fri, 17 Feb 2012 08:15:44 +0000 2012-02-17T08:15:44Z http://familyfitness.about.com/b/2012/02/15/jump-rope-for-fun-and-health.htm <p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://0.tqn.com/h/familyfitness/1/3/r/7/-/-/jump-rope_mel-yates.jpg" alt="Jumping rope at school playground, photo by Mel Yates" align="right" />February is American Heart Month, so many schools schedule a <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://familyfitness.about.com/od/Winter/qt/Jump-Rope-For-Heart.htm">Jump Rope for Heart</a> fundraiser this month. As part of the festivities, your child may get to see (or participate in?) a demo from a <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://familyfitness.about.com/od/youthsportsprofiles/a/Kids-Jump-Rope.htm">kids jump rope team</a>. Maybe the fundraiser or the demo will even inspire your child to take up a jump rope and give it a whirl!</p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://familyfitness.about.com/b/2012/02/15/jump-rope-for-fun-and-health.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://familyfitness.about.com/b/2012/02/15/jump-rope-for-fun-and-health.htm Wed, 15 Feb 2012 17:55:21 +0000 2012-02-15T17:55:21Z http://familyfitness.about.com/b/2012/02/13/this-week-hearts-and-hockey.htm <p><img src="http://0.tqn.com/h/familyfitness/1/9/Z/6/-/-/gloves-stick.jpg" alt="youth ice hockey player" align="right" />If you are raising a little hockey fan (like I am), mark your calendars: This Friday kicks off <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://familyfitness.about.com/od/Winter/qt/Hockey-Weekend-Across-America.htm">Hockey Weekend Across America</a>, a three-day celebration of <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://familyfitness.about.com/od/waystoplay/a/icehockey.htm">the sport</a> and its players. Three sweepstakes winners will even skate away with a whole set of <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://familyfitness.about.com/od/kidssports/ss/Youth-Hockey-Equipment-Basics.htm">hockey equipment</a>. If you're a hockey mom, you'll know that's a big deal! (If you don't win, here are my tips for <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://familyfitness.about.com/od/kidssports/tp/Save-Money-On-Youth-Sports.htm">saving money on kids' sports</a>. Trust me, you'll need them).</p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://familyfitness.about.com/b/2012/02/13/this-week-hearts-and-hockey.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://familyfitness.about.com/b/2012/02/13/this-week-hearts-and-hockey.htm Mon, 13 Feb 2012 08:57:04 +0000 2012-02-13T08:57:04Z http://familyfitness.about.com/b/2012/02/10/rewards-for-active-innovation.htm <p>Almost every day an announcement about a <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://familyfitness.about.com/u/reviews/gearformomsanddads/Fitness-App/">fitness-related app</a>, game, or <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://familyfitness.about.com/od/productsandequipment/gr/polar_FA20.htm">gadget</a> hits my in-box. Obviously, a lot of people are working on using technology to improve health and wellness. Now those folks can participate in an innovation competition that will reward them for coming up with clever, health-promoting ideas.</p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://familyfitness.about.com/b/2012/02/10/rewards-for-active-innovation.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://familyfitness.about.com/b/2012/02/10/rewards-for-active-innovation.htm Fri, 10 Feb 2012 08:41:34 +0000 2012-02-10T08:41:34Z http://familyfitness.about.com/b/2012/02/08/dive-in.htm <p><img src="http://0.tqn.com/h/familyfitness/1/3/q/7/-/-/diving-sean_justic.jpg" alt="Girl on diving board, photo by Sean Justice" align="right" />The other day my 6-year-old neighbor announced that she had taught my daughter how to dive while they were swimming at the Y. Since my daughter is nearly four years older, you can imagine how proud this kindergartner was.</p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://familyfitness.about.com/b/2012/02/08/dive-in.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://familyfitness.about.com/b/2012/02/08/dive-in.htm Wed, 08 Feb 2012 08:23:59 +0000 2012-02-08T08:23:59Z http://familyfitness.about.com/b/2012/02/06/when-kids-feel-excluded.htm <p>...they are less active, according to research being published today in the journal <em>Pediatrics.</em> A small study done at Kent State University in Ohio measured kids' activity levels after some of them played a computer game designed to make them feel ostracized from other kids.</p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://familyfitness.about.com/b/2012/02/06/when-kids-feel-excluded.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://familyfitness.about.com/b/2012/02/06/when-kids-feel-excluded.htm Mon, 06 Feb 2012 07:49:07 +0000 2012-02-06T07:49:07Z http://familyfitness.about.com/b/2012/02/02/everybody-dance-now.htm <p>Coming soon to a gym class near you, maybe: Dance Dance Revolution, Classroom Edition. Konami, the maker of this popular dance-based exergame, will release its new edition later this month. In the classroom edition, up to 48 dance mats can be connected to one computer, allowing a large group of kids to dance together.</p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://familyfitness.about.com/b/2012/02/02/everybody-dance-now.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://familyfitness.about.com/b/2012/02/02/everybody-dance-now.htm Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:52:54 +0000 2012-02-02T08:52:54Z http://familyfitness.about.com/b/2012/01/31/is-it-too-late.htm <p>Thanks to some great discussions I've had recently, with fellow moms and with fans of <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://www.facebook.com/aboutfamilyfitness">About Family Fitness on Facebook</a>, I tackled a question that troubles many parents: Is it ever <a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://familyfitness.about.com/od/kidssports/f/Too-Late-To-Start.htm">too late to start a new sport</a>? If your child develops an interest--maybe even a talent--for a sport at the ripe old age of 10 or 12, can he even join a team, or will he be shut out by kids who started playing in preschool? I have some thoughts and advice, but I'm interested in yours too. Please share your experiences in the comments or join the conversation on Facebook.</p>...<p><a href="http://clk.about.com/?zi=1/1hc&#038;zu=http://familyfitness.about.com/b/2012/01/31/is-it-too-late.htm">Read Full Post</a></p> http://familyfitness.about.com/b/2012/01/31/is-it-too-late.htm Tue, 31 Jan 2012 12:14:19 +0000 2012-01-31T12:14:19Z