Exercise for all ages

Raising a healthy family is all about setting great examples, and even if you have little or no experience of exercise to date, there's no reason why you can't start today, no matter what your age or ability

Exercise doesn't have to mean hard-core iron pumping: a bike ride or a half-hour swim is a great way to get started, as well as being cheap and easy for the whole family to do.

Different types of exercise will fulfil different objectives: if, for instance, you're hoping to build stamina, boost your heart health or lose some weight, cardiovascular exercise is the way to go.

Cardiovascular exercise

The main aim of cardiovascular exercise is to raise your heart rate for a prolonged period to give your heart and lungs a workout. It's best to consult your doctor and a fitness expert if you're about to start a new exercise programme, as you'll need advice on how hard to challenge yourself depending on your starting fitness level.

You don't have to slog it out at the gym or throw yourself around a squash court in order to give your heart a workout. There are lots of types of cardiovascular activity to choose from which are not only inexpensive - or even free - but also instantaneous.

There are also some new, fun and family-friendly ways of keeping trim in the comfort of your own home, such as Wii Fit Plus.

Activities include:

Jogging Wii Fit Plus Running Skipping Swimming Cycling Rollerblading or ice-skating

You can also do some cardiovascular exercise without focusing on the actual effort by playing a family-friendly sport such as table-tennis; tennis; football or any other ball games.

It's a great way to prise the kids away from the computer or TV, and you'll get lots of opportunities to chat and enjoy each other's company during rest periods.