By Cory Bank, Ph.D.

We all know it's not always easy dragging children away from their computers, Xboxes or televisions in order to engage them in a fitness regimen. Parents often ask me for advice on how they can enhance the enjoyment of physical activities for their children. So, in response, I have outlined below some suggestions and strategies parents may implement to make participating in these activities less of an arduous task and more fun.  The goal is to provide greater enjoyment and better results for everyone.

Participate in fitness activities with your children

 Children often model what they observe, regardless whether it is positive or negative-observational learning as psychologists typically refer to it.  If a child's parents are couch potatoes always watching television or sitting in front of their computers, then it's reasonable to assume their children are likely to mimic the same behavior. By participating in fitness activities with your children, they will see their role models setting a good example by being physically active.

Not only will you have fun together, but you will teach your children that you can have a good time doing something healthy, and that's a good lesson to learn. Remember excelling at the activities you select is not what is important; it's about being active and being together.  Over the years, retrospective longitudinal studies have shown that what young children value most about participating in fitness activities is the quality time that they spend with their parents or guardians.

Find fitness activities that appeal to your child's age

Another key to a successful fitness program is to make sure the activities you select are in synch with your child's interest, age and capabilities. If the activities are too easy, they might become boring and you could easily lose your child's interest. Moreover, if the  activities are too difficult, they can, more often than not, become frustrating and push the child away. Most five year olds would think a rousing game of tag with mom or dad would be fun, but a teenager might feel quite differently.

Keep in mind this strategy can also be applied to group activities.   Take it upon yourself to round up the neighborhood children (and their parents) and suggest they all go outside and play basketball,  kickball, capture the flag,  kick the can or some type of social game such as that.    Not only will your child be physically active, he will be learning about teamwork, sportsmanship and developing friendships as he plays.  And parents, you'll get to know your neighbors!

Pay attention to ecological variables

When selecting a fitness activity, it's important to take into account the "goodness of fit" between your child's personality characteristics and the types of different activities that are available to him or her.  Pay attention to your child's preferences to these variables.

If your child prefers playing in a group environment then he would probably rather engage in a team sport like soccer, softball, or lacrosse that involves other people. Would your child rather take part in more of an individual activity like biking, running or tennis?  Does your child like one activity that takes a significant amount of time or is her attention span one that would do better with several shorter activities?  Knowing your child's answers to these questions will help you both more accurately select the fitness activities that provide good results while maximizing fun and enjoyment!

, and Drunk Driving.

Cory Bank, Ph.D., is the founder of the Abington Center for Therapy and Sports Psychology (www.abingtonpsychology.com). Dr. Bank specializes in individual therapy with children, adolescents, and adults including sports psychology, adjustment issues, relationship issues, school issues, and stress management. Dr. Bank seeks to focus on each person's strengths and needs in order to assist each individual to reach their fullest potential.  He is also an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Montgomery County Community College and serves as an Adjunct Professor at Rosemont College in the Graduate Program of Education. Dr. Bank has completed the Ironman USA Triathlon and multiple marathons. He has also been featured on CN8, WIP, and USA Today.