European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 23, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Not backpacking an act a by i Cal ice end re family can enjoy i hive getting fit and learning to work together. Family fitness make i fun not a contest by Linda Lewis Griffith Scripps Howard news service ant to. Make family fitness a priority in your household or just want to have fun being physically Active As a family follow these suggestions to help you get on track make enjoyment your no. 1 goal the priority of family fitness is for everyone to have fun and to feel Good about each other As a result of having participated. Too often parents and spouses entice family members into an activity then treat them like they re in Boot Camp rather than out to have fur. -. Frank made this mistake with his wife Jeri. Frank. Wanted Jeri to take up jogging with him. But every time she ran with him he complained she went too slow. Rather than supporting Jeri s efforts to take up a new sport he berated her for not keeping Pace. Finally Jeri refused to run with her husband. Barb took a different approach with her son Caleb. Who was 15. Barb was teaching Caleb to play Golf. But rather than  his Lack of skill she praised his beginner s efforts on the course. She offered minimal suggestions and instead made their outings pleasant and relaxed. Caleb was not defined to make the pro circuit but he loved playing Golf with his mom. Select cooperative Over competitive activities. Competitive activities tend to pit family members against one another. Only one person or team can win so there Are always people who lose and feel bad. Cooperative activities such As hiking biking and camping Foster positive feelings among families. Everyone can be successful in the activity and feel satisfied with the results. X the daily for example were avid Tennis players. When they played together As a family winning was Foremost in their minds unfortunately scores took precedence Over sportsmanship tempers often grew heated and Cross words were sometimes exchanged. As a result family members Felt less affectionate toward each other after their matches. Their relationships were hindered rather than helped by their games. The Johnson family on the other hand liked to Backpack together. They helped each other pitch tents Cook meals and scout trails. When they climbed a Peak they would wait until they were All together before they made their final ascent. That Way they All reached the top at the same time. Their relationships were strengthened by their time in the mountains. Gear the activity to the youngest or least skilled member of the family. Family activities must be geared to  of the participants to be successful. If you re skiing with a Kinde Gartner stay within that child s abilities. If you re cycling with novices go Only As far and fast As they can comfortably go. I know this is difficult for you weekend olympians who Don t do anything unless it s for a personal Best. But remember the goal of family fitness is fun not world records. Leave your Stopwatch at Home when you re out with your spouse and kids. The Best Way to avoid frustrating both you and your family is to get your workout in before you take them out. That Way you won t be fretting about the time you re wasting at the Park with your preschoolers or tossing Tennis balls to your spouse who is just taking up the sport. Adapt traditional activities to accommodate your family s abilities. Is your family not quite ready for a Rea game of baseball or Golf then change a old time favorite or make up a Brand new creation. Our family recently participated in a multifamily version of soccer played with a Ball that was 4 feet in diameter. The men were not allowed to touch the Ball with their hands but the women and kids could pick it up and throw it if they could. We changed teams often adapted rules As needed and did t keep score. Our afternoon of redial left us laughing exhausted and great friends. Is file when playing sports find a level that is a hit with everyone including those most Likely to strike out. Get exercise gear in shape by Dana Scarton Pittsburgh Post Gazette Pring does funny things to people. It drives them to clean their Homes Wax their cars even begin or resume an exercise program. If you fall into the exercise category there is something you should know your equipment probably could use a tuneup. Storage closets and Damp basements have been known to take a toll on bicycles skates and other equipment. Tires go Flat bearings go bad and lubrication systems go dry. Even if your equipment survived a Winter in storage chances Are it did t receive the routine maintenance it required following last season s hard knocks. Exercising with poorly maintained equipment will detract from your enjoyment and in some cases increase your risk of injury. Here Are suggestions to help you Start the season with Safe equipment. In line skates the most important components Here Are wheels and bearings. If your wheels Are worn unevenly it s probably time to rotate them. For skates with four wheels rotating involves switching the first wheel with the third and the second with the fourth. For skates with three wheels move the first wheel to the rear position and move each of the remaining wheels Forward one position. To inspect bearings turn your skates upside Down and spin the wheels. If there is friction or noise you probably need to replace the bearings. You should actually have almost to sound when you spin the wheels said Rob Pell manager of Shady skates in Pittsburgh. If there is noise generally it Means lubrication is breaking Down inside the bearing. It is 1 reflecting that the bearing is  next Check the Brake pad in the rear of your right skate. Most break pads have a Wear limit line Pell said. If your Brake pad is worn close to that line you should change it.". Pell also recommended checking your laces before skating to make sure they Don t break when you tug at them and washing knee pads Elbow pads gloves and other protective gear. Use the gentle Cycle and hang pads on a clothesline to dry. Bicycles most bicycles require a few adjustments every Spring especially if they  sitting in a basement or garage All Winter. At the least apply some grease to your Chain and have your brakes shifting and tires inspected. Most bicycle shops will do a routine Check for $35 or so. A Complete overhaul costs about $75, said Dave Burke of term cycles in mount Lebanon a. It involves disassembling the bicycle and replacing worn parts. Running walking shoes the Basic requirement is a pair of shoes specifically designed for your sport. In other words Don t Wear walking shoes for running or vice versa. Also make sure your shoes Are in Good condition. Walking and running shoes should be replaced every 500 to 750 Miles said James j. Irrgang director of outpatient -4 cyclist removes Winter s dust from his Bike a physical therapy and sports Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh s Center for sports Medicine. The problem is you can t always rely on the Wear pattern on the outer sole of the shoe because the materials Are so Good these Days Irrgang said. Really what Dies on the shoe is the mid sole. You la lose the Shock absorbing qualities and the support from the Heel counter will break Down. That s the part of the shoe that holds the Heel in place. Irrgang recommended purchasing a hew pair of shoes after logging about 500 Miles on your current pair. Alternate wearing the old and new shoes until the new pair is broken in. Not wheels and bearings of in line skates should be carefully inspected before hitting the streets. Is Flo rowing machines have a Low resell value workout equipment use it or sell it by Ira Dreyfuss the associated press aul Clancy is interested in buying your nordic track. But you can keep the rowing machine. At his store in the Washington suburb of Herndon va., Clancy watches people lug in their used sporting goods and exercise equipment and carry out Cash. Clancy is a franchisee of play it again sports. The Chain makes Money from America s notorious exercise fickleness the habit of buying workout gear with the Best intentions but leaving it to gather dust because using it requires Effort. Play it again sports gives these people a place to Cash in their lost dreams. Although the stores carry new equipment their specially is buying reselling and consigning used goods. They accept anything from ice skates to Home gyms. The equipment then gets sold to people willing to accept serviceable used equipment and attracted by prices below the Cost of buying new. " in general Good condition used is sold at about half the original retail Price Clancy said. Purchase prices for used equipment depend on the Quality of the equipment and whether it s seasonal he said. The Best sales Chance is for equipment in the mid to upper Price Range said Robert Lemie the Chain s vice president for corporate development. Play it again sports has 422 stores  track Cross country style aerobic exercise equipment holds its value Well but Don t bother to bring in poorly made imitations. I think the Public Recognises what s Quality what s junk and what won t work and they won reinvest in it Clancy said. People know Lemons \ Home gyms also sell Well provided they re Well made. A Well made Home gym has heavy gauge steel and is put together so strongly that it s stable while a person exercises Clancy said. It also has a simple design that does not require a person to move a lot of parts while setting up for the next exercise he added. Fashion also count. Stair climbing machines Are popular so franchisees want to buy them Lennie said. Treadmills Are somewhat less popular but Clancy buys and Sells them. Rowing machines Are Way Down on the desirability list. Half the owners of rowing machines report they did t use them in the previous month said Harvey Lauer president of american sports data a sports demographics company in Hartsdale . Not every seller has Given up working out. Some chose to join a health club and so feel they no longer need what they have at Home Lennie said. And store officials added Many others who enter to sell equipment Are expected to return for something to buy possibly As soon As the next urge to get in shape hits them. 16 the stars and stripes saturday april 23, ,994 the stars and stripes 17