Q: What are some fun ways to get a good workout and include the kids?

A: "The kids" is one of my top excuses for not exercising - when I let it. When I'm thinking creatively, "the kids" IS my workout.

The first mindbend I recommend is replacing the term "workout" with "playout." I don't know about you, but I get more than enough work at work! I don't need fitness to become a second job.

If your kids are old enough to play games like tag and jumprope, and follow the leader, and "walk like a monkey, jump like a kangaroo" (I may have just invented that one - does anyone know a good intellectual property lawyer?), you can get a fantastic workout - oops, playout - just by playing with them. When you take them to the park or playground, don't be like the other parents and au pairs who sit on the benches reading or talking on cell phones. Get moving with them!

If your kids are infants or young toddlers, play games that they enjoy using them as external resistance - in other words, squirmy barbells! Pick them up and lift them in the air, and go "wheee!" Do it 10 times, add a 1/4 squat on the way down, and you've got a better workout than shoulder press and leg extensions combined. Plus you've got a happy little critter.

One of my son's (age 6) favorite games is to run at me at top speed, and then launch himself at my torso. Catching him and then tossing him in the air involves core stability, arm strength, leg strength, balance and mobility. And he's willing to do it a lot longer than I am.

Another game I play with my son is "Oops, I almost dropped you." I hold him in my arms as if he's a baby, then I bend my kness quickly as I toss him about 1/2 inch in the air. He falls about 6 inches into my still open arms as I begin to move into a squat.

Once you learn the basics of natural, functional movements - run, jump, push, pull -you and your kids can invent endless varieties of games that thrill and exhaust you all. The added benefits of touch, bonding, alertness to the needs of another body can deepen your relationship. My games with my son almost always end with a cuddle.

And of course, with kids (or grownups) of any age, put on a CD and have a 6-minute dance party. Move, jump, twist, wave your arms, sing, and get happy.

In terms of calories, I really don't know. Nor do I pay any attention to calories when it comes to exercise. Get a good sweat going, get your heart rate up, and increase your stamina and strength ongoing, and the calories will take care of themselves.

At work, many of us have to count things. At play, let's concentrate on having fun, rather than "meeting quota."