Alex Ram

According to the experts there are two things which are a problem in our society. First is that we're not getting enough exercise. We spend too much time sitting around. We sit on the couch, we sit in front of the TV, we sit in the car, we sit behind our desks. We just do too much sitting. Of course sometimes we just have to sit, but we need to do less of it. Maybe we wouldn't all be so fat if we moved around a little more. Back in the good old days, Americans got much more exercise. Not so today. We need to do more walking, running, jogging or even just moving around--take the stairs instead of the elevator--you know the drill. One recent report from the American Cancer Society says that lack of exercise is just as dangerous to our health as smoking! That's a surprise! Plus, they tell us that people who don't exercise are two times as likely to have heart disease as people who are exercising even a moderate amount. Even back when John F. Kennedy was president, the country recognized that Americans weren't getting enough exercise. A fad that captivated the nation was walking. Not just walking around the neighborhood, but walking 20, 25 or even 30 miles in a single day. It was such a big deal that there were newspaper articles and news stories about how far people walked in a day. No one is expecting you to walk 30 miles today, but it would be great if we just got outside to play a family game together. So, if we admit that we're getting a little fat as a nation, what can we do about it? Again, the experts tell us that even a moderate amount of exercise will help. People are starting to recognize this as evidenced by the increasing popularity of outdoor family games. There are many to choose from and they're priced within reach of even the most budget conscious consumer. It's an inexpensive way to add exercise to our regular routine. 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 second thing the experts are telling us is that we don't spend enough time together as families. Of course this is probably not going to make you lose weight, unless being with your family puts you off your dinner. But an essential part of healthy psychology and parenting is to spend time together not just working and handling the chores involved with running a family, but doing fun things. Outdoor family games are perfect answers to the question of what to do for family fun time. Most families will enjoy a game like BlongoBall which is easy to learn and fun to play. Parents of teenagers enjoy BlongoBall because it is interesting and exciting enough to entice the teenagers to participate without being so difficult that younger or even older family members will be discouraged. 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. If you want to be in better shape both physically and emotionally, get your family together for a few games of BlongoBall. It works! Craig Mecham runs a consulting firm during the work day and a father of six in real life. His family is an ideal testing ground for outdoor family games. Nothing is allowed to interfere with their BlongoBall tournaments!