A lot of people use their kids as an excuse for not working out. I get it. You work all day, your kids are at school, and when you get home all you want to do is catch up and spend some quality time together.

There's nothing wrong with that!

But let's be honest--in this day and age most of our time is spent in front of the television, on the computer or glued to our phones and that's not healthy. It's also not really allowing you and your kids to connect.

Just taking a few days out of the week to get active will do wonders for you and your family and it will teach your children great healthy habits!

Hiking is more than walking. It may look simple, but indeed hiking is a more beneficial exercise for all ages. I always take routes around my local trails on evenings or weekends. This is the perfect time to walk with your family. It is enjoying because I get to talk with my family making fun as we explore the scenery.

Some of the benefits of hiking are:

• Strengthens balance and coordination
• Teaches kids about nature
• Creates an ample time to interact with your family and have fun.

One thing to note is to pick a hiking spot which will offer a good work out, but one that is also safe and not too strenuous for kids. When your kids are having fun exploring, they won’t even realize that they are exercising.

I have been going to the gym to do squats which indeed increased my weight-loss, but doing squats without weights can also be a good workout. Enjoy doing squats with your kid on your shoulders. I love doing this with my youngest son because he gets excited, and it also helps me physically. The benefits of exercise doing this are as follows:

• Strengthens your legs
• Helps you increase your weight loss
• Helps you spend quality time with your kids

For older kids you can do little challenges together and see how many squats everyone can do! It'll be fun to see how much stronger everyone becomes over time!

Keep in mind that yoga for kids will be different, especially young ones who have a hard time remaining still. You will need to incorporate yoga poses which are child-friendly. On that note, be sure to involve your kids in the planning; Come up with games which can incorporate body parts.

Family yoga has the following benefits:

• Increases muscle strength
• Helps in development of balance and coordination
• Helps you connect with your kids
• Teaches the kids to be patient and mindful

Hold your kids up in the air and make them feel like they are Superman or Superwoman flying in the air. Some of the benefits of sit-ups are:

• Strengthen your abdominal muscles
• Helps improve balance
• Helps you play games with your kids

Jogging is one of the easiest exercises you can do with kids. You can go for short jogs with your kids, and If you have a toddler or baby, you can comfortably run with a jogging stroller.

You can even create small competitions for your kids and offer prizes for them. Another fun thing to incorporate is to participate in the races at times, jogging at a slower pace so your kids beat you. Jogging has the following benefits:

• Strengthens muscle groups, especially leg muscles
• Reduces fat in the body
• Fun way to interact with your family