Self Care- Cycling with the Family

Cycling with the family - How to get exercise and have fun too

(NC)-Spring is in the air, which means it's time to dust off and tune up the family bicycles and get active! Cycling is such an enjoyable way for families to get active together, while taking in the scenery and getting some fresh air.

The experts at Kellogg Canada and Dairy Farmers of Canada have some excellent tips to help you get the most out of your family bike ride, such as recording your cycling mileage to increase motivation with the help of a Kidz Count Cyclometre. Kids can strap-on the cyclometre - found inside specially marked Kellogg's cereals while supplies last - to the back wheel of their bicycle and it will track how far they ride in kilometres.

Once back at home, kids can register their mileage online at www.kidzcount.ca to tour five virtual Canadian bike trails. For every 30 km cycled, registrants are eligible to win a family cycling trip to one of three trail destinations.

Here are some other tips to get the most out of your family bike ride.

1. Give your kids a few different route options and let them choose. This will give them a sense of responsibility, provide a change of scenery, and allow everyone to practice riding on different types of terrain.

2. It's not a race. The family should always cycle at the pace of the slowest rider. Adults should remember that little ones on junior bikes may find it difficult to keep up with the bigger and faster ones.

3. Mapping out your route beforehand is always a good idea to gauge how far it is and approximately how long it will take. The distance must be something all members of the family can handle. You don't want to spend the latter part of the ride carrying a very tired youngster and a bike.

4. Kick-start the family's day with a healthy breakfast. A healthy breakfast, such as cereal with milk and fruit, will help ensure they have energy for the outing. And before heading out, pack a variety of convenient, healthy and nutritious grab and go snacks. Make sure you build in some time to make a few stops along the way to refuel and recharge.

For more information, log onto www.kidzcount.ca.

- News Canada