If there were a dog days of winter, this would be it!  It's the middle of February and cabin fever is beginning to set in.  You are starting to feel out of shape, and a little bad that the kids haven't been getting much exercise.  What can be done?

1 - Go sledding.  Everyone think of skiing and Colorado, but if you don't want to make the drive to the mountains, this can be a blast.  If there happens to be enough snow on your favorite sledding hill, head on over for a few runs.  The kids will have a blast, and will get some great exercise in the process.  Be careful though, after a long, slumbering winter, that hill might be killer.  Be careful not to overdo it, but push yourself.

2 - Go for a nice long hike. The mountains might be buried in the snow this time of year, but down here in the front range, we tend to have a little less (our little secret!)  Because of this, there are plenty of opportunities to take a nice, long hike with the family.  Head on over to Westminster Hills Open Space, where you can even let the dog off leash and take a nice, LONG hike.  You'll be amazed at the amount of area allowed for off leash walking.

3 - Head over to your local rec center.  In Broomfield, we are lucky to have to decent rec centers.  For some fun with the kids try the Paul Derda Rec Center.  They have a great pool with water slides and a zero depth entry area.  That's sure to keep 'em entertained and burn off some of those winter calories.  No kids?  You can put in a good workout there also, with an extensive weight room and plenty of cardio machines.  Also, try the climbing wall or shoot some hoops.  All for about 5 bucks apiece.

4 - I can hardly believe I am going to say this (and you won't believe it either if you know me), but if it's just bone chilling cold and there is nothing to do, head over to Flatirons and walk the mall.  The kids will have fun people watching and window shopping, and you will get a little exercise to boot.

What do you do with your family to combat cabin fever?  Leave your comments below!

Interesting article on the "fat acceptance movement".  There are definitely positives and negatives to this, and it seems to come down to mental vs. physical health on some level. 

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/01/06/fat.acceptance/index.html?eref=rss_health&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_health+%28RSS%3A+Health%29&utm_content=Google+Reader