Get your family fit this spring

(ARA) - The frost is lifting, the snow is melting, and you're beginning to remember how good it feels to be outside. Your fingers stop going numb, you don't see your breath anymore and you can finally take your kids out of the house without wrapping them in more layers than a wedding cake.

Spring is coming and that means the ability to get back outside. Outdoor activities can be a great, inexpensive way to spend quality time with your family while staying fit and setting good examples for healthy lifestyles.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend adults get active at least two and a half hours per week. For teens, the CDC recommends at least one hour of physical activity per day. Anything that increases breathing and heart rate and strengthens muscles counts. Even exercising for small chunks of time - 10 minutes per day - can help improve overall health in children and adults.

One way to encourage healthy lifestyles is to incorporate your family into your exercise routine. Many outdoor activities that families can participate in never get old. This spring, greet the season with some of these activities:

• Take a hike or plan a family picnic at your local forest preserve or state park. Start the hike at dusk to reach a clearing in time for a beautiful sunset and star gazing. Just be sure to bring a flashlight for the walk back.
  
  
• For the baseball fans in your bunch, take a bike ride around your neighborhood park to release some energy before settling on the couch to catch the first pitch.
  
  
• If your crew is on the competitive side, lace up your sneakers and rally your neighbors for a game of kickball at your local high school. Keep up the fun by tracking team scores all season long.

Outdoor activities require some safety equipment - helmets, sunglasses, sunscreen - and, if you have young children, extra accessories like the proper stroller or trailer are necessary. Several companies keep outdoor enthusiasts in mind when making new design innovations. Companies like Chariot Carriers, which offers multifunctional strollers that can be turned into a jogger, hiking or bike trailer and, even, a cross country skiing trailer, use their customer's varied and active lifestyles for inspiration in creating new products. The versatility of the product gives families a range of options to stay fit and active.

Spring is the time for new beginnings, so the time is right to set your family on a healthy path. As you put away the winter coats and start opening your windows, keep in mind all the outdoor activities you can do with your family. For more information on Chariot Carriers strollers, visit www.chariotcarriers.com.