7 Ways To Stay Active Indoors

Come winter, when you’re trapped indoors, it’s tempting to cozy up on the couch for a movie and popcorn. But it’s healthier for everyone to get some exercise instead. According to the Centers for Disease Control, children are supposed to get 60 minutes of physical activity a day—always a challenge in cold weather. But exercising indoors doesn't have to be dull. The following slides feature some fun and easy ways to get your grandchildren moving.

Hide little notes with riddles around the house that will lead the children from one location to another, making sure to take advantage of stairways and distant rooms, advises Ariane Hundt, a personal trainer in New York City, who is a former kindergarten teacher. "For example, give the kids a note that tells them to look for a place where they would clean their hands," Hundt says. "Then hide another note in the bathroom that will lead them to the next location." At the end of the hunt, have them discover a treasure, such as a game or a little prize, that everyone can enjoy.

Draw or paste pictures of your young grandchildren’s favorite animals on index cards. Ask each kid to select a card, and then demonstrate how the animal walks, climbs, or moves. To liven it up, ask the kids to walk like their favorite animal in a race. (This is a great game for preschoolers, and you may find that preschoolers' older siblings will play along if the little ones are enthusiastic.)

Teach the grandkids the steps to one of your favorite dances, be it the Hustle, the Jitterbug, or the Mashed Potato. "It's a chance for you to do something that you enjoyed," says Dr. Stephen Virgilio, Ph.D., chairman of the Health Studies, Physical Education and Human Performance Sciences department at Adelphi University in Garden City, N.Y., and author of Active Start for Healthy Kids (Human Kinetics).

Kids love nothing better than to sit and watch their favorite toons. Try this compromise to get some movement in: Each time commercials interrupt the show, everyone must hop off the couch and get moving. Ask each child to take turns leading the commercial-break activity, whether it's ten jumping jacks, or marching in place, or a race around the house. At the end of the show, let each grandkid lead the group in his or her favorite stretch.

Round up a group of CDs representing different genres, from classical to rock to children’s music. Ask the kids to spread out and dance however they like to the different songs. But when you stop the music, everyone must freeze until the next tune begins. Vary the amount of time between songs to give the game a silly vibe.

Chess and Scrabble provide great mental challenges, but they don't do much for the hamstrings. Get yourself a supply of games that actually get kids running, jumping and stretching, such as Cranium Hullabaloo, Hyper Dash, or the classic Twister. Or consider video games that encourage exercise, like the Wii Fit system, or Dance, Dance Revolution, which is available for various platforms.

Put the kids through a series of exercises that will tone almost every part of the body. Jim Massaro, of Advanced Body Personal & Athletic Training Center in Nyack, N.Y., recommends these stations:

1. The track. Run two laps around a pair of cushions placed five to ten feet apart, then stop and do 10 to 15 jumping jacks. This will warm up the muscles.

2. The bear crawl. From a standing position, touch the floor with your hands and lift your backside in the air. Staying in this position, crawl to another part of the room. This works the back, abdominal muscles, and hips.

3. Back and forth. Go back to one of the cushions on the floor and jump over it, from side to side, for 10 to 15 seconds. This provides a cardio workout while strengthening the legs.

4. Spider crawl. Drop to your hands and knees, and crawl five to ten feet with your opposite hands and feet moving in sync like Spider-Man. This works the back, shoulders, and hips.

5. Reach up. Jump straight up as high as you can as often as you can, trying to touch the ceiling. This final move helps build leg muscles and provides another quick cardio workout.