Exercise ideas for fun and family health

Getting out the door for fresh air and exercise during a cold Minnesota winter is a big challenge. No wonder I'm jealous when my friend in Florida emails cheery news about playing tennis in 74-degree weather.

To console me, she offered to share the warmth. In her playful manner she said, "If only the weather could be more evenly distributed across the country — as if getting a good shake, like an upside-down Etch-a-Sketch, could even things out a bit."

She wouldn't even mind sharing some Florida sunshine and warm breezes to help us through these brutal winter days in the Midwest. Come summertime, I could reciprocate the favor. If only....

Whether it's hot or cold, or somewhere quite perfect in between, getting motivated to exercise is always the same. It's the matter of taking those first steps.

So, the bottom line is, wherever you live, getting out and getting moving is important all year round, even if you have to wear snowshoes instead of running shoes.

Here are quick start ideas:

Give me five! Get muscles moving for five easy minutes. Set the timer and arm-wrestle, jump rope or run up and down the stairs. Squeezing in a few minutes of playing in the snow will burn calories and give you a workout. Make snowballs, a fort, a tall snowman or a chorus of snow angels. If you lose track of time, remember that in family life, there doesn't have to be a clock or a finish line.

Fun and games. Challenge your family with activities that inspire healthy play both indoors and out. Have a ball playing basketball and football. Make it "tag" or "touch football" for all ages to be part of the workout. When you come indoors, play ping-pong, set up plastic bottles for bowling pins or enjoy a floor hockey competition on the basement carpet.

Take a walk. Enjoy this year-round exercise anytime of day. At 3 mph, you can burn 112 calories in a half hour. Increase your pace to a jog with older kids for an extra challenge. Or visit a nearby park or nature center for a long adventure hike. Climb rocks, inhale the aromas of the natural world around you and take pictures to capture the visual memories.

Beat the winter blahs and think spring!

Except for stray pine needles hiding between sofa cushions and under area rugs, our holiday decor with all its warm scents, glitter and glow is out of mind, now stored away for 11 months in our chilly attic.

I miss the sparkle of it all, especially during these long, dark, winter days when I need an extra push to get outside for a charge of energy. While it will take weeks to pick up more hours of daylight, I'm all for tricking my mind into thinking it's spring, even when it's not.

If you are on the same mission, think "perky" with these easy tips and tricks to brighten your home and sweep away the "blahs."

Find new uses for everyday items: You and your kids can create a bright arrangement on your kitchen counter or table. First, pick up a bouquet of the springiest of flowers, tulips! Let the kids trim the stems and arrange them in a bright container. How about a teapot? It doesn't have to sit on a stove all the time, after all. Think toys, too. A bright-yellow truck can haul a fresh new mini pot of growing ivy into the arrangement. Set a few packets of 2013 veggie seeds in the cab as a reminder of outdoor gardening fun on the horizon.

Clear the clutter and move things around: Get rid of stuff that's no longer used or useful. Give away and recycle books, old and broken toys and furniture. While you are at it, rearrange beds, desks and bookcases together in your kids' rooms. What child doesn't love the feeling of waking up the next morning to a new look?

It's also refreshing on the eyes to move living room and family room furniture. Do it while the kids are at school, and watch their eyes pop when they walk in the door.

Wash windows: This one sounds like work, but it's worth it. Grab squeegees, newspaper and rags to scrub and wipe away the grime. It's amazing how looking through a clean window will brighten everyone's day!

Donna Erickson's award-winning series "Donna's Day" is airing on public television nationwide. To find more of her creative family recipes and activities, visit www.donnasday.com and link to the new Donna's Day Facebook fan page. Her latest book is "Donna Erickson's Fabulous Funstuff for Families." (c) 2015 Donna Erickson Distributed by King Features Synd.