Be Healthy and Happy with Outdoor Family Games

The experts are telling us two things these days. First, we don't get enough exercise. We sit-a lot! We sit at our desks, on our couches, at our tables, in our cars, at restaurants and much more. Now, mind you, sitting is not altogether a bad thing, the problem is that we've got the whole sitting thing out of balance. We sit too much. The result is that we're all becoming fat!

Back in the good old days, Americans got much more exercise. Not so today. We need to do more walking, running, jogging or even just moving around--take the stairs instead of the elevator--you know the drill. One recent report from the American Cancer Society says that lack of exercise is just as dangerous to our health as smoking! That's a surprise! Plus, they tell us that people who don't exercise are two times as likely to have heart disease as people who are exercising even a moderate amount.

Even back when John F. Kennedy was president, the country recognized that Americans weren't getting enough exercise. A fad that captivated the nation was walking. Not just walking around the neighborhood, but walking 20, 25 or even 30 miles in a single day. It was such a big deal that there were newspaper articles and news stories about how far people walked in a day. No one is expecting you to walk 30 miles today, but it would be great if we just got outside to play a family game together.

The same experts that tell us we're getting fat, also tell us that even a small amount of exercise each day has a physically beneficial effect. That's one reason that outdoor family games are becoming so popular. They are reasonably within reach of even the most tight-fisted consumer, plus they are a good way to add some exercise to our daily 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.

The game is played by tossing a bolo constructed from two golf balls connected with a length of rope. The bolo is tossed at the horizontal rungs of a "ladder" type goal. Scoring is accomplished when the bolo wraps around one of the horizontal rungs. It's easy to learn and fun to play.

There are lots of imitators in the "toss it, wrap it, score" game categories, but BlongoBall is the original. We've tested lots of these types of games and it seems like BlongoBall is the only one built to last. Some of them broke within minutes of being out of the box. So, use caution when buying a game in this category.

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.

If you want to be in better shape both physically and emotionally, get your family together for a few games of BlongoBall. It works!