Best fitness products for kids

October 15, 2:22 PMNutrition ExaminerCarol Bardelli

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Fitness is crucial for every body. With childhood obesity on the rise exercise products for kids are more important than ever. Old standbys like soccer balls, bikes, skateboards, and jump ropes are great. New products are designed with our computer savvy children in mind. Motivating youngsters to exercise and making it exciting and fun is just the ticket. Here's the best fitness products guaranteed to get your kids up off the couch.  

Fisher Price Smart Cycle

The Fisher Price Smart Cycle is perfect for bad weather days. Fun indoor video games that incorporate physical activity get kids moving and they won't even realize they're exercising. Designed for three to six year olds, the Smart Cycle "physical learning arcade system" is also an educational tool. This system includes an all-in-one stationary bike and video game console with joy stick and buttons. Engage your child's brain while exercising your child's body. Kids will think they're just having fun.

Cranium Hullabaloo

Described as "Twister meets Simon Says" Cranium Hullabaloo is a creative and fun way to channel your child's energy. Hullabaloo is a game that will have kids bouncing across the room. Players skip or jump from one colorful shape to another in a manner reminiscent of Twister. Hullabaloo's "Simon Says" element includes commands like "touch your nose to a circle", "spin to a red", or "put your elbow on a musical instrument." And when Hullabaloo commands players to "Freeze!" the player on the lucky pad wins! Every couple of minutes there's a new winner who gets to take a bow, make a victory jump, or do a "funky monkey" dance. This game appeals to kids of all ages.

Dance Dance Revolution

Dance Dance Revolution has a wide range of products including My First Dance Dance Revolution for youngsters. Available for Playstation and other formats these products are hot. For older kids – including my precocious eight year old and my 59 year old husband – try the classic Dance Dance Revolution. This original DDR offers built in songs to dance to and the CD option. Load your favorite standard music CD into your Playstation and rock out with the songs of your choice.  The dance pad – several are available - is about 3 by 3 feet and has symbols on it. The program guides you as to where to place your feet by flashing the symbols onscreen. I'm pretty aerobically fit and DDR challenges me. This program burns calories like crazy but you're having so much fun you want to keep coming back for more.

Nintendo Wii

Wii has become so popular it's often hard to find. A Wii console is around $250 used. Bundled sets run upwards of $799 new. Hopefully the manufacturers will step up production and lower prices for the Christmas season because this is a best buy for fitness buffs and weekend warriors alike.  Offering diverse games like Wii Fit, Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum, Active Life Outdoor Challenge, Wii Rock Band, and We Ski from Namco Bandai Games, there's something for folks of all ages. If you don't think exercise can be fun you haven't tried Wii. This is the ultimate family fitness fun holiday gift.

All these products are available at most mass market retailers including Amazon and WalMart.