So how can you make exercise become a daily habit like teeth brushing, helmet wearing and seatbelt-fastening?

Make the time fun and challenging. Provide variety. A routine is fine too as long as you are observant enough to recognize when a greater challenge is needed.

What exercise is best? Whatever they like to do that can fit into a regular routine. Set a goal. This could be as simple as getting up and stretching in your pyjamas the first thing every morning.

Stick to it. Prepare an exercise log giving your child age appropriate rewards for exercising so many times a week. For our purpose, we want to reward regular, consistent exercise versus the amount of exercise.

• Start with low intensity, short duration activities. Consider starting with a 12 - 15 minute work out every day for the first 6 - 8 weeks.
• Set a good example. Exercise with them.

Come on, Mum and Dad, you should be able to rise 12 minutes early to fit this into your morning. It'll have the added advantage of stimulating your metabolism too.

• Activity must involve large muscle groups to induce the large energy expenditure found in Aerobic exercise (walking, cycling, swimming, dancing, etc). Aerobic is an activity you do over and over to keep bringing fresh oxygen to your muscles and heart to make them strong.
• Consider 3 minutes of stretching; a set of 10 jumping jacks, followed by 1 minute of running in place, followed by 10 push ups, 1 minute of running in place, 10 sit ups, 1 minute of running in place. Repeat this set again and then do three minutes of cool down stretching. Alternatives include:
• Identifying/measuring a mile run/walk course. Walk for the first three minutes, run for 1 minute (or half a minute), walk for one, run for two, walk for two, run for two, walk for three to cool down. Vary the run/walk times to accommodate your child's fitness level.
• Jumping rope and trampoline bouncing are wonderful exercises that work many parts of your body simultaneously. In addition, these are activities that your child will enjoy doing with you.
• Your activity should also include resistance training. This tones your muscles and keeps them strong and is just as important as aerobic exercise.
• It is the total energy expended not the intensity that matters. Walking or running a mile has an almost identical effect. However, as endurance improves as you can walk faster, you'll get more calorie burning benefit in a shorter time frame. Remember, right now, we're just trying to create an exercise habit, not win a race or lose weight.
• Have water available during and after even a short work out.
• Use behaviour modification (rewards) to continue the daily exercise habit.
• Get and keep your child's stomach muscles strong early. They support your back and vice versa. By the time we're adults our stomach muscles are so weak we tend to avoid stomach exercises entirely.

Remember that kids are not always naturally limber and their muscles may be tight and vulnerable to injury during the growth spurts that occur in the elementary years. Be sure to include stretching as a part of your fitness activities.

Encourage your child to take the active option in daily life: walk instead of ride; take the stairs, not the elevator; develop an interest in hands-on activities like building a sandcastle. Fortunately, short bursts of activity are cumulative.