And then this morning, I open my Facebook page to an opportunity that isn’t so hard. The Jump Rope Challenge 2012 is fairly straight-forward. You jump rope every day for as long as you want. You count your jumps/skips. You report them on the Facebook page, listing your daily and your cumulative total.

Milo Bryant, fitness expert and creator of the Jump Rope Challenge 2012

I learned about the Jump Rope Challenge 2012 from fellow FitCity Mom Kelly Young. A friend of hers from high school, Milo Bryant, is the mastermind behind it. Wanting to learn a little more, I contacted Milo to ask a few questions. My questions and his responses are listed below:

What made you decide to create this challenge?
I tend to do something crazy/challenging every year. Not enough of us move our bodies with impact as part of the process. Jumping rope is a low-grade plyometric exercise. So, it’s something that virtually everybody has done before and can do again. Plus it’s pretty cheap to get a rope.

How long have you been jumping rope?
Wow. Off and on for 35 years. My earliest jump rope memories were when I was five. So, yes, 35 years worth. But the past 15 or so have been pretty serious. I probably own 45-55 ropes of varying grades.

What makes jumping rope a good addition or start to someone’s fitness regimen?

Jumping rope is a self-limiting exercise. That means it is an exercise that is nearly impossible to do with bad form and bad technique. If a person has poor technique or movement quality, an inability to perform the exercise is a plus because it doesn’t allow the reinforcement of poor movement. As a point of reference, people can and do sprint all the time with poor movement mechanics. But, because the times are fast, the poor movement mechanics are overlooked. Poor movement mechanics lead to injury – the last thing we want when exercising.

Any advice about finding the right rope? How do you know if it’s long enough/too long, etc?
There is no exact method for this. What’s standard is stepping in the middle of the rope, placing the handles together and making sure they reach the armpits. However, the longer the rope, the more arm action that’s required AND the slower the rope turns. The shorter the rope the faster it can turn, and less the arms are needed.

I just measured a couple of my ropes and they come just above my belly button. I’m a shade over 6-feet tall.

What’s the most consecutive jumps you’ve ever done without missing?
That a tough one. I don’t know that I know. I’ll hit my foot sometimes but keep jumping. Just because you hit your foot doesn’t mean the exercise has to stop so you can adjust the rope. We’re dexterous enough to work the rope back to normal even while we’re jumping. The longest I’ve jumped is 59 minutes. I got sweat in one eye at about the 45 minute mark. Then sweat got in the other eye. So I stopped, looked at the clock and got mad because I could’ve gotten that hour! During that 59 minutes I might have hit my feet five or six times.

So there you have it, from the expert. What I, a definite non-expert, like about this challenge is this:

1. It’s simple. All you need is a jump rope. If you want to get kind of fancy, the American Heart Association has some jump rope skills that you can work on to mix things up.
2. It’s not expensive. Again, all you need is a jump rope.
3. It doesn’t require lots of scheduling. Have jump rope, will travel. Waiting in the pick-up line at school? Get out the rope and do your jumping next to the car. Sure, other parents will look at you funny, but who knows? Maybe they’ll decide to join you.
4. It’s something the whole family can do. Create a mini-competition in your family. The one with the most jumps at the end of the week gets to choose the movie for family movie night.

On December 31, 2012 the jumper with the highest jump count in the official challenge will win $3,000 to donate to a fitness related charity. But the real win, I imagine, will come in the increased fitness and the sense of accomplishment of watching your jump count grow on a daily basis.

My children are 2, 3 and 6, and they believe in Santa Clause and are quite excited for his arrival and the Christmas holiday in general. I really wanted to include them in on this tradition of cookie making that my grandmother started when I was their age. I asked what type of cookies they wanted to make, and they picked good old sugar cookies with icing. I also chose, to keep in a healthier spirit, oatmeal cookies with nuts and dried cranberries.

For three days, we baked cookies for teachers, my co-workers, church and family.  They loved all of it, mixing the dough, forming the dough into balls, decorating and of course taste testing. I tried to take the opportunity to talk to them about ingredients and potion sizes.

I know that cookies are not necessarily the healthiest items, but if you chose the right kind they can be a nice, tasty treat. For example, you can try this Chunky Peanut Butter Cookie recipe.

I try to keep cookies in moderation and feel that on special occasions they are just fine. Here are a few tips for making holiday baking a little healthier:

• Watch the butter, maybe go with a lighter version. I use margarine.
• Use whole wheat flour instead of white flour. It may change the taste a little, but give it a try.
• Use cocoa instead of melted or grated chocolate.
• Remove low-fat cookies early, so they don’t dry out.
• Substitute applesauce for butter in cakes to decrease the amount of fat.
• When baking, try to use other sources for flavor such fruit, nuts and coconut.
• Look up recipes on the internet. I love Taste of Home, the healthy section
• Use quality ingredients and everything tastes better!

From my family to yours, we hope you all have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

My first thought was fresh pine, of course. However, my middle child is allergic to nearly every tree on earth, so it’s an imposter tree for us. Then my mind wandered to citrus scents, cinnamon and peppermint. I began to think about how I could bring those scents into my house in a calorie-free way. Candles are an easy answer, but I was looking for something that also might help build a memory or two. Here’s what I came up with:

Clove-studded oranges

Photo credit: The Recipe Club blog

This simple project looks pretty and has a spicy sweet smell.

What you’ll need –

• Small oranges
• Whole cloves (available at most grocery stores)
• Washable pen
• Small nail or metal skewer

Draw a design on the outside of the orange. Cloves can be placed randomly as well. Poke small holes along the design, then fill each hole with one whole clove. Continue until the design is covered. You may also choose to randomly place the cloves around the orange. Display your studded oranges in a glass bowl so family and visitors can enjoy both the smell and the pretty designs.  For more detailed instructions, click here.

Cinnamon applesauce ornaments

Photo credit: McCormick.com

These ornaments smell great, are easier to make than cut-out cookies, and look great hanging from the tree or tied to packages.

What you’ll need –

• 3/4 c. applesauce
• 1 4oz. bottle of cinnamon
• Cookie cutters (2-3 inches)
• Drinking straw
• Ribbon

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Mix the applesauce and cinnamon together until a small ball of dough is formed. Roll the dough out to 1/4-1/3 inch thick. Cut out shapes with the cookie cutters. Use the straw to make a hole in the top of the ornament. Bake for 2-1/2 hours then move to a wire rack to finish drying for 1-2 days. Once dry, tie each ornament with a ribbon and hang on your tree. Makes about a dozen ornaments. (Recipe and photo from McCormick.com)

A kid-friendly, non-edible craft to bring peppermint into the house was a little harder to find. That is until I happened upon Nana Moon Shop and her playfully scented recipe for an old standy.

Peppermint-scented playdough

• 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup salt
• 1 1/2 cups boiling water
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 10 drops peppermint extract
• red food coloring

Mix dry ingredients {only 2 1/2 cup flour, reserve 1 1/2 for kneading dough}. Add water and oil. Stir and let it cool, uncovered. Mix or knead with hands. Knead in remaining flour as needed to make dough desired consistency and less sticky. Store in plastic bag or container with lid. Lasts for several months.

These recipes should fill the house with wonderful holiday scents, allow for lots of together-time in the kitchen and create happy memories. Zero calories added.

Many people have certain traditions on Thanksgiving like watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, sitting on the couch with family eating snacks, watching football games, eating too much at dinner, sitting around watching another football game and then eating too much desert.  This isn’t the healthy lifestyle I wanted to teach my children this year.

My kids are now 2, 3 and 6 and are learning every minute. They are understanding choices we make about food and snacks and playing (or exercising). This year, I wanted them to understand how blessed they are and also teach them to give to others. I tried to think of ways that I could do that.  So I planned the day as follows:

• We watched the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. My kids love music and dancing, so with every band performance or singer we would get up and dance. That kept us very active. The really fun thing was seeing Santa. Their eyes were glued to the big bearded man at the end of the parade.
• We made a healthy snack together.
• We played some Wii games. My kids love the Just Dance series. Their favorite right now is Just Dance 3. So we put that on and danced away for a good hour. It kept them active and entertained. It’s so cute to watch too.
• We made ornaments for our house and family. Each year I love to have the kids color some wooden picture holders and then put a current picture of them in it as well as the date and give them to family. It’s a way to see how they have grown each year and teaches them about giving thoughtful gifts to others.

Of course we went to a family members house for dinner, but again I watched our portions and made sure we had plenty of veggies instead of the filling up on bread and starchy foods.  We had wonderful food, but weren’t super full. We were all able to keep busy running in circles and having fun being with family.

I hope my kids had as much fun as I did this Thanksgiving. I think I have come up with some great new Thanksgiving traditions.

How did you spend your Thanksgiving?

My dad always loved to run. So one day when I was 12 years old, I thought I’d give it a try. I laced up my Nikes and started jogging the short loop behind my house. I was all gung-ho, but two minutes into it I was huffing and puffing and questioning my dad’s sanity.

I didn’t run again until my junior year in high school when my friend Becca convinced me to join the cross-country team. This time I questioned my own sanity as my muscles ached, my lungs tightened, and my legs cramped with each step. When I came down with mono in the middle of the season, I was relieved. After all, running was difficult—and exhausting! But a funny thing happened during my convalescence…I missed running. Huh. Who knew?

The moment I was well, I hit the pavement—only this time I felt inspired, energetic, giddy even. I grew to eagerly anticipate and fervently adore my runs, during which I could clear my head of the clutter and gain clarity, joy, and peace with each passing mile.

When I was pregnant with my kids, I continued to run—or “wog” as I called it (a cross between a “waddle” and a “jog”). I wasn’t moving fast but I was moving! When my boys were infants and toddlers, I’d strap my itty bitty training partners into the stroller and off we’d go to explore the world. My youngest son is now 14 months and we have a blast running roads, parks, paths, neighborhoods, and trails like the one around the Hendricks Regional Health YMCA. To mix things up, we even run the perimeter of hospital, stadium, and school parking lots. My older son is now 7 and sometimes we run the neighborhood together to help him condition for soccer and basketball.

Running strengthens my muscles, lowers my cholesterol, and keeps my mind sharp. Most importantly, however, running feeds my soul and nurtures my spirit. Plus, it’s become a great family affair!

So it turns out Dad wasn’t crazy. Or maybe he just passed the “crazy running gene” on to me. If that’s the case, thanks, Dad; I’m eternally grateful.

What activity do you adore doing solo and/or with your family?

Not the kids in the Riley Hospital POWER ( Pediatric Overweight Education and Research) Program. We visited the kids and their parents this week at the Children’s Better Health Institute’s Fitness Farm. Each week, the kids learn cooking tips from a registered dietitian, play fun games and exercise! During our visit, they tried yoga and spaghetti squash.

A new session starts Thursday, October 7. For more information, call (317) 948-5888 or visit rileyhospital.org/POWER.

Photos by Barbara Epperson.

The Hoosier Outdoor Experience is also our family’s chance to try activities we don’t get to do often – or might not ever try in our whole lives. We’re suburban slickers, but in the past two years – thanks to the Hoosier Outdoor Experience – we have tried skeet shooting, shot a bow and arrow, used a pellet gun, rode in an UTV and taken a 30-minute family horseback ride.

Including the fun stuff I just mentioned, there are 50 activities scheduled for this year’s event, including fly fishing, hay rides, disc golf, panning for gold and tiny tots mini-bike rides. Other reasons to go:

1. The great outdoors literally offers something for all ages. I have taken my kids, nieces, nephews and parents, so that’s an age range of eight to 70 years old. Each year, we have found something (or several somethings) that everyone enjoyed.
2. You get to do so many activities for FREE. Let’s be real, we’re in a tough economy and getting the whole family out for a day-long activity is costly. You can’t go to Chucky Cheese, a water park or gaming facility, stay all day and try 50 activities for free.
3. You get to use real equipment. They have the shotguns, the bikes, the fishing poles, the boats – everything you need to really try out an activity.
4. You are guided by the pros. Each area has experienced people on hand to teach you about their interest. They’ll show you exactly how to use the equipment correctly, tell you places in Indiana where you can enjoy different activities, discuss safety and more.
5. It’s a great way to get your tween, teen or gamer away from a screen. It might take some convincing, but once they are there they can’t help but have fun. They might even thank you. OK, that’s crazy talk, but you might catch a smile when they realize they can hit a real target instead of a virtual one.

A few tips before you head out for the day: 1) Wear comfortable shoes. They have a great bus and trolley system set up, but you still may have to walk a bit and 2) Food is available for purchase, but throw some snacks and water in a carry-on bag to enjoy during the day.

Don’t miss this annual event. It’s something your family will be talking about all year.

What special family events does your family look forward to each year?

That would be my fault. Ice cream is my go-to celebratory treat. And, as made apparent by my daughter, I’ve passed that tradition down to my kids. Not that I expected Annie to get in the car and say, “Hey Mom, school was great! Let’s go run 3 miles to celebrate.” But her request did make me think about what kind of examples I set.

I drink Diet Coke first thing in the morning, so it doesn’t surprise me that I’ve had to scold my kids about drinking the same before they’ve even eaten breakfast. My husband has a habit of grabbing a snack at the gas station near our house. Not so coincidentally, our 8-year-old declares “I’m hungry” almost every time he gets in the car.

Sleeping on the couch with the TV on is a special comfort of mine. I seriously have a crazy-comfortable couch!  But when my 12-year-old starting sacking out there night after night this summer, I had to put the kibosh on that, telling him that he would get better sleep in the more restful space of his bedroom.

It’s not just negative examples that our children mimic. My husband is not a big fruit eater, but if I serve fruit at dinner, he always takes at least a little bit, not  because he likes it, but because he wants to set a good example.  When I make a regular effort to exercise — even if it’s just walking the dog — the kids often ask about joining in.

As a mother, I have a responsibility to prepare my children for their futures.  If I want those to be healthy and long futures, then I have a duty to model healthy practices for them in the present.

With all that said, I was shocked to notice one day that my 3-year-old son was getting rather plump. I’m not saying that he is fat. I just noticed a weight gain. The reason I was really shocked is because he is my child who doesn’t really eat. He loves his apples, bananas, milk, etc. But he never really eats a full meal.

After speaking with my husband, who has begun to watch the kids during the days more because of a working hour change, I discovered the culprit—French fries and chocolate milk!

My husband has been taking them to get food almost every day to give everyone a break during the day. He goes and gets a healthier lunch for himself at Subway, but then stops by McDonalds or Burger King to get the kids French fries and chocolate milk. After learning that, I wasn’t surprised that my son was gaining weight.

My husband and I had a brief discussion regarding French fries and other junk foods. We also decided that we needed to get them moving more. After a quick tour of our local YMCA, we setup a family membership.

My children are the type that if they see us exercising they try and copy it. By taking them to a family focused-organization like the YMCA, they can see other people working out, they have time to play without the TV on in the background and they can use the pool year round.

In addition, they can take their own fitness classes. I am currently eyeing the tumbling tots class for my 3 year old, a baby moving class for my daughter and a special needs gymnastics class for my 6 year old. I plan on them all attending swim lessons as well.

Getting my children out of the house and directly involved in activities is just a great addition to having them eat right, and I just wish I had done it sooner.

What changes have you made as a family to get everyone on the same page?

I will admit that I don’t have anything close to a green thumb. I had heard that gardening is really very therapeutic. I had heard it’s good for the soul to dig in the earth. I had heard all of these things, but I never really got into it.

Last year, I started visiting a local community garden. I was with my wellness coach and she had me doing “weed therapy.”  Basically, I was pulling weeds, but she said to think about what I needed to weed out of my life. I LOVED it. I loved being outside. I loved understanding the gardening process. I loved learning how important it is to grow your own food.

Miss Mary’s Wellness Garden has your basics: tomatoes, peppers, collards, carrots and beets. We are also growing strawberries. YUMMY.  I’m excited. It’s been great to see young people getting outside, getting some exercise and being excited about growing things. I’ve learned that gardening is really a great physical activity. I get a workout every time we have a workday.

Get involved at a local garden. Keep Indianapolis Beautiful has been working with us, and they have a list of community gardens where you can help.  Many gardens welcome children to help and learn as well. It’s a great opportunity to learn how to start your own small garden.

Here are some pics of our garden, located at 2447 Bond Street!

If you have pictures of your garden, please share on the FitCity Indianapolis Facebook page.