It's no chore to keep kids active over summer break

In just a matter of days, kids across the Tampa Bay area will be set free for summer vacation.

No more math tests, book reports or history papers ... at least for a few months. (That giddy din you hear coming from the neighborhood is the sound of children rejoicing.)

Parents and pediatricians, however, are less enthused. They dread the thought of kids spending time away from gym glass, where they are almost guaranteed to get at least a little physical activity.

With kids sleeping in, lounging around indoors or poolside, and spending even more time in front of a TV or computer than usual, there's always the concern they won't get even one hour of exercise a day, the minimum recommended by the government for optimal health.

The problem is magnified by the reality that many children won't be signed up for daylong summer camps that will keep them outside running, playing and swimming. With money tight for more families than ever, there's a good chance kids will be at home with fewer opportunities for organized play.

That potential departure from more regimented exercise can have real consequences, particularly as kids get older, says a 2007 government study on high school students and physical activity.

The survey asked students if they participated in any kind of vigorous activity in a seven-day period outside of school. A quarter of the teens said they hadn't done any type of activity that increased their heart rate or made them breathe hard.

St. Petersburg teen Deven Light says without a summer workout opportunity, he knows he would take it easy.

"I think I would definitely be on the computer a lot more and going to bed about 1 a.m." says Light, 15. "I wouldn't have the strength to go out and do stuff."

The serious long-term impact of this kind of behavior includes an increased risk of obesity and associated diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol, asthma, and arthritis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Still, parents should know that incorporating physical activity into summer plans doesn't have mean an intense or expensive fitness regime. It just takes a little creativity.

Treat your kids to a workout that makes them smile - and might also expand the mind and spirit.

Off the couch and to the gym

Deven was just 13 when he realized his size had become a problem. He was tired of getting picked on for being overweight, and didn't like the way he felt.

So the seventh-grader - on his own - discovered a free summer workout program and persuaded his mom he needed to hit the gym during his vacation.

"The first day, I thought I was going to throw up, because before, I was kicking back with a bag of potato chips," he says of the program offered for teens from 12 to 17 at area Lifestyle Family Fitness centers. "But this was for real."

At first, Light struggled to last 10 minutes on the treadmill. By summer's end, he could run for 30 minutes and was comfortable using the facility's weight machines. He credits the personal trainers at the gym with helping him learn how to exercise properly and lose weight.

Two years later, Light is significantly slimmer and more outgoing and optimistic about his more active lifestyle choices, which include martial arts and baseball with friends in his St. Petersburg neighborhood. He's trying to get friends to join him at the gym this summer.

"Before, I had a desire to eat a lot," says Light, who is wrapping up his freshman year at Northeast High. "Now, because I'm so busy, it takes my mind off food."

The Lifestyle program, which continues this summer, allows teens to use the Lifestyle weights and machines for conditioning on summer weekdays before 5 p.m. Parents must register a teen for the free program at www.lff.com/teen. After an initial visit with a parent, teens can work out on their own.

Light says he hopes overweight teens take advantage of the opportunity to change their exercise habits this summer. The gym isn't a day camp for kids. It's a real opportunity to make your life better, he says.

"It will be a big confidence lifter."

Stretch your child's body and mind

Kids' lives are often regimented during the school year. Summer is an opportunity to let them get their exercise in and dabble in new activities, with dance lessons at a local recreation center or maybe martial arts. Classes are easy to find online or through city and county parks departments. Summer sessions can cost between $25 and $75 for classes that last about an hour.

A nontraditional form of fitness, yoga, is a favorite among adults for its meditative power. That's the same reason many parents sign up their kids, says Lindsay Bomstein, a children's yoga instructor at Tampa's Yogani studio.

Yoga's stretching and strengthening activities are easily translated to younger children in games that transition their bodies from fast and furious to calm and reflective. Summer is an important time to help kids recharge their batteries, says Bomstein, who teaches the 45-minute classes over a six-week session.

"It's really important to be good at relaxing," she says.

TV can be your friend

Kid-centered exercise DVDs and video games are getting more popular and plentiful, and they offer a rain-or-shine option. Whether it's Nintendo's Wii Fit or Billy Blank's Tae Bo for kids, games and DVDs that can entertain and engage a child are offered online and at local libraries.

Tampa mom Carrie Scheiner says the extra time kids have during summer can be a perfect opportunity to stretch their bodies and minds. That's why she created Gymathics, which blends a cardio workout with mathematics concepts for an elementary school-age audience. The $24.99 DVD is available online and locally at Learning Express stores and the Carrollwood Barnes & Noble bookstore

"If you feel guilty about putting your kids in front of the TV...this is one activity that gets them exercising and learning," she says.

Activities like the 30-minute Gymathics offer kids a different way to learn traditional classroom concepts. Multisensory learners who avoid math may open up to a summertime game better than they would a lecture or worksheet.

"If a child has challenges, they won't even know they're learning math," she says.