Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Be Healthy and Happy with Outdoor Family Games

By Craig Mecham

According to the experts there are two things which are a problem in our society. First is that we're not getting enough exercise. We spend too much time sitting around. We sit on the couch, we sit in front of the TV, we sit in the car, we sit behind our desks. We just do too much sitting. Of course sometimes we just have to sit, but we need to do less of it. Maybe we wouldn't all be so fat if we moved around a little more.

We're not exercising like Americans did back in the good old days. We need to walk, run, jog, or even just plain move around more. In fact, one recent American Cancer Society report states that lack of exercise is just as dangerous to your heath as smoking! And, people who don't exercise are twice as likely to suffer from heart disease as people who get even modest amounts of exercise.

Back in the early 60's there were large numbers of people walking or jogging. It was quite a fad to see how far you could walk in a day. People would walk as much as 20, 25 or 30 miles in a day. And the newspapers would write articles about it! Even back then, our country was worried that we were sitting around and getting flabby. No one expects us to walk 30 miles today, but it we be good if we did something simple like play an outdoor family game together.

So, if we admit that we're getting a little fat as a nation, what can we do about it? Again, the experts tell us that even a moderate amount of exercise will help. People are starting to recognize this as evidenced by the increasing popularity of outdoor family games. There are many to choose from and they're priced within reach of even the most budget conscious consumer. It's an inexpensive way to add exercise to our regular routine.

One favorite game across the country is BlongoBall. It's an interesting and exciting game. It's quick to set up and easy to play. It doesn't require any special skills or abilities, so it's great for anyone in the family.

BlongoBall is played by tossing a bolo made from two golf balls at either end of a length of rope in such a way that it will wrap around the horizontal rungs of a "ladder" type goal. It's easy and fun and anyone can play.

There are many BlongoBall imitators in the "toss it, wrap it, score" game category. BlongoBall is the original and our favorite. We've tested most all of these types of games and our preference is for BlongoBall because it is the only one we think is built to last. Some of the cheap imitations broke almost immediately, so be careful when buying a game if this type.

The second thing the experts are telling us is that we don't spend enough time together as families. Of course this is probably not going to make you lose weight, unless being with your family puts you off your dinner. But an essential part of healthy psychology and parenting is to spend time together not just working and handling the chores involved with running a family, but doing fun things.

This is where outdoor family games are handy things to have around. Most families will respond quickly and easily to a game as easy and fun as BlongoBall. Even teenagers who might normally be less interested in participating in a family activity will usually perk up when the BlongoBall game is set up.

When you're playing BlongoBall it's easy to converse and interact with other players. This is one of the other reasons we like it. It doesn't require such focus and concentration that conversation must come to a stop, yet it's still challenging enough to capture the interest of everyone in the family. It makes family time truly a together time. All the kids, even the very young grade schoolers can play. Plus, you can purchase additional soft rubber ball sets to use indoors in the winter. BlongoBall is a favorite year round game in many families.

All in all, outdoor family games are a great idea not only for staying in shape physically, but for keeping your family in shape and emotionally healthy.

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