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Now that you’re losing weight and gaining confidence, chances are you’re starting to think about ways to get your body in shape. That’s great! But instead of just developing an individual fitness routine, why not include the whole family in your planning?

Think about it: family fitness really is a win-win thing. You get in shape; the kids get in shape, and the whole family gets to spend time together. Plus, family fitness has never been more important than it is now. With TV, computers and video games part of almost every household, children tend to be more sedentary than ever. Junk foods and fast foods are both popular and prevalent, and obesity rates in adults and kids have climbed to an all-time high.

Maybe you’ve thought about this but can’t imagine what to do or where to start. No problem! We’ve got six ways you can start today to enjoy fitness in your family.

1. Let the kids decide
Before you go in with charts and whistles, why not sit down with everyone in the family and ask the kids what kinds of things they really like to do? Encourage them to think about games or activities that might be fun for all of you. Take notes, watch everyone’s reactions, let the discussion be free-wheeling and open. Chances are you’ll be able to find something the whole family will enjoy.

Maybe it’s a weekly game of putt-putt or a family night at the bowling alley. If you’ve got a skate-boarder in your family, consider an hour at the local skate park each week, or, in winter, go ice-skating. If everyone has bikes, dust them off and take them out. Many cities now have wonderful bike roads, banned from traffic. Or do a search for Rails and Trails in your area. These are old railroad tracks that have been covered over and turned into multi-use roads just perfect for biking and walking.

2. Get outside
Sometimes you can get the whole family moving, if you just suggest that everyone go outside. Get an inexpensive ball or two, or maybe a glove and initiate a ball toss. Head to the park. Throw in a jump rope, a hula-hoop or two. Pick up a Frisbee and even the dog can get involved.

If nothing else, you can always take a walk. That’s a perfect thing for the whole family to do. If you’re walking around the neighborhood, you’ll be surprised at how differently you see the area. And all of you (as well as the dog) will be moving!

3. Game on
If your family’s a little more competitive, that’s great, too. Initiate a game of touch football or set up the volleyball or badminton net. Play freeze-tag. If the weather’s nasty, try indoor hide-n-seek or a scavenger hunt. Smaller families can find a local tennis court and play.

Rainy days don’t have to be inactive ones. Most kids love Twister, and it can be fun for parents to also get tangled up in the mix. Even charades can be turned into exercise—customize the game to have all the words be verbs. Then, as parents and kids are acting them out, they’ll be moving their bodies.

4. Support a good cause
There’s nothing much more satisfying than supporting a favorite cause, and a wonderful way to do that is through a charity walk. It doesn’t have to be a marathon; pick a short walk, and then schedule specific times for all of you to train. Your kids will get the satisfaction of giving back to the community and helping those in need, while they’re getting into shape.

5. Make chores fun
Let’s face it: do not top the list of “fun.” Mention sweeping the floor to any kid, and watch the reaction. But you can easily change all that. If there’s work to do inside like cleaning the kitchen or dusting the downstairs, crank up the music.

Take frequent dance breaks. Ask the kids what kinds of dances they’re doing, and you can show them the dances you did when you were their ages…back in the “old” days!

6. Change is good
If you’ve found one activity the whole family enjoys, that’s great. But you don’t have to stop there. Keep that initial list you made somewhere convenient, and periodically pull it out and try something new and different. Maybe it will be a hit, maybe not. But the last thing you want is for your exercise fun to become a colossal bore.

You don’t have to do all the exercises in this story or even most of them, but the point is to do something. Not only will you be helping your children get fit now, you’ll be increasing family unity and helping your children develop healthy habits for a lifetime.