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!



It seems that in our modern world, we just don't move around like we used to. We should spend more time running, jogging or even walking. We should be taking more stairs and less escalators. The American Cancer Society reported recently that people who don't exercise are endangering their health just as much as people who smoke! Not only that, but people who don't exercise--even a small amount--are twice as likely to get heart disease as people who exercise.

Years ago when John F. Kennedy was president, there was a craze that swept the nation resulting in large numbers of people walking or jogging. Some tried to see how far they could go in a day. Some went 20, 25 or even 30 miles in a day. Even four decades ago people were worried that we sat around too much. Today, no one is asking Americans to walk 30 miles. Just play an outdoor family game together.

The experts say that just a small amount of exercise is still helpful for our bodies. Many people are taking advantage of outdoor family games to add some exercise to their routines. The popularity of backyard games has increased dramatically over the past year or two. There are many different types from which to choose and they're an inexpensive way to have fun while exercising.

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.

BlongoBall is the original in the "toss it, wrap it, score" game category. Other imitators did not impress us. In our testing we found that BlongoBall seemed like the only one built to withstand normal use. Some of the lesser quality brands broke within minutes of being out of the box, so BlongoBall is our preferred choice. Be wise when buying a game in this category and you'll get one that your family will enjoy for years.

The next thing the experts are saying is the we're not spending much time together as families. Spending more time with your family may not exactly help you stay in shape unless you're chasing each other around the house, but spending time together is an essential part of developing a healthy family atmosphere. Pshychology and parenting authorities encourage families to be together for more than just accomplishing the household chores. Families need to have fun together.

This is a natural place for outdoor family games to fit into the routine. Most families will have a great time with a game that's as easy and fun to play as BlongoBall. Even tempermental teenagers can easily become interested in game that's a little challenging but not demanding a tremendous amount of skill.

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.

Outdoor family games are great for keeping your body and your family in shape! Listen to the experts and get out there and play with your family.