Many of us have children who are very young -- and very busy!  But as they age the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says they get less active -- especially girls.  Many like to turn on the video games, the computer or the television rather than do something that will raise their heart rate for a while.  Recently I had to work a deal with my 11-year-old to get her to come out and run a mile with me!

So what can you do to get your kids active?  First, here are the stats -- they may seem overwhelming but they put things into prespective a little bit.

Kids and Activity: the Facts

The CDC came up with some staggering statistics when they surveyed more than 11,000 high school students recently.   The  found only "12%...engaged in 20 minutes of vigorous physical activity three or more times a week... By contrast about 70% of the students surveyed said they watched at least an hour of television every school day. About 35% said they watched 3 hours or more of television on each school day."

"This lack of exercise is killing us, say researchers at the CDC and the American College of Sports Medicine. According to a joint statement they issued this year, approximately 250,000 deaths a year in the United States can be attributed to physical inactivity." -- US Department of Transportation website

To combat this, the American Heart Association says children and teenagers should be involved in at least an our of moderate to vigorous physical activity each day!  That's tough for working parents to make sure happens.  Fewer kids are electing to take a gym class in junior and senior high schools, the CDC says

So what can we do?