Kids exercise all the time without even thinking of it. Just being active, like when you run around outside or play kickball at school, is a kind of exercise. What else counts as exercise? Playing sports, dancing, doing push-ups, and even reaching down to touch your toes. When you exercise, you're helping build a strong body that will be able to move around and do all the stuff you need it to do. Try to be active every day and your body will thank you later!

Exercise Makes Your Heart Happy
You may know that your heart is a muscle. It works hard, pumping blood every day of your life. You can help this important muscle get stronger by doing aerobic (say: air-o-bik) exercise. Aerobic means "with air," so aerobic exercise is a kind of activity that requires oxygen. When you breathe, you take in oxygen, and, if you're doing aerobic exercise, you may notice you're breathing faster than normal. Aerobic activity can get your heart pumping, make you sweaty, and quicken your breathing. When your give your heart this kind of workout on a regular basis, your heart will get even better at its main job - delivering oxygen (in the form of oxygen-carrying blood cells) to all parts of your body. So you want to do some aerobic exercise right now? Try swimming, basketball, ice or roller hockey, jogging (or walking quickly), in-line skating, soccer, cross-country skiing, biking, or rowing. And don't forget that skipping, jumping rope, and playing hopscotch are aerobic activities, too!

There's a lot of discussion these days about fit kids. People who care (parents, doctors, teachers, and others) want to know how to help kids be more fit.
Being fit is a way of saying a person eats well, gets a lot of physical activity (exercise), and has a healthy weight. If you're fit, your body works well, feels good, and can do all the things you want to do, like run around with your friends. Some steps only parents can take — such as serving healthy meals or deciding to take the family on a nature hike. But kids can take charge, too, when it comes to health.

Here are five rules to live by, if you're a kid who wants to be fit. The trick is to follow these rules most of the time, knowing that some days (like your birthday) might call for cake and ice cream.

Maybe you're looking outside right now and snow is falling on the ground. Or maybe you're in a place where people are sweating and wearing shorts. You might have a bunch of friends available for playing, or you could be all by yourself. No matter what the weather is like or how many friends are around, there's always a way to be physically active and have fun. Here's how.

When It's Just You
By yourself? Try hopping on your bike, strapping on your skates, or grabbing your skateboard. Don't forget your helmet and pads! Or try jumping rope and counting how many times you can jump before you miss. Jumping rope is a great way to get aerobic exercise.

Sometimes being by yourself gives you a chance to practice stuff so you get better at it. If you play tennis, try hitting a tennis ball against a brick wall. If basketball's your thing, try shooting hoops and seeing how many you can sink. Or if you're into soccer, grab a ball, and see how long you can keep it in the air using your feet, knees, and head. When you play with your friends again, they'll be amazed at what you can do!