Being fit means getting around more easily, feeling better about yourself, increased energy and endurance to make it through the day, a healthier body, and sleeping better at night. In addition, exercising with your family can be fun, foster good communication and reduce family stress.

The best exercises for you and your family are ones that you'll enjoy doing time after time. As you start thinking about possible exercises, consider combining aerobic and weight-bearing choices in your plan.

According to the American Academy of Family Physicians (www.familydoctor.org), aerobic exercise like bicycling, jogging and walking moves large muscle groups, causing you to breathe more deeply and your heart to work harder to pump blood. Also called cardiovascular exercise, aerobic exercise improves the health of your heart and lungs.

Weight-bearing exercises like hiking and weight training work against the force of gravity and are important for building strong bones.

You might start with a Saturday morning walk in the neighborhood or at the park or zoo. Walking is a year-round favorite because it's easy, safe and inexpensive. Brisk walking can burn as many calories as running, and it's less likely to cause injuries. And it doesn't require any training or special equipment except for supportive shoes.

Here are some suggestions from the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (www.cdc.gov/nccdphp) for fun ways you and your family can be active together:

* Fix up your home together by raking leaves or doing yard work.

* Garden together.

* Play racquetball or tennis.

* Learn to dance.

* Listen to music while you use a stationary bicycle, treadmill, stair climber or hand weights.

* Park the car farther away from the grocery store or mall.

* Play with the family pets.

* Walk, cycle, jog or skate to work, school, the store or your place of worship.

Don't work out too soon after eating or when it's too hot or cold outside. If you find it too difficult to be active after work, consider relaxing for awhile first, or try it when you get up in the morning. Put "exercise appointments" on the family calendar. Stick to regular times each week.

In order to make your new exercise plan a long-term habit, the national chronic disease prevention center suggests changing your routine. Walk one day. Bicycle the next. Do calisthenics when it rains. Check your progress. Can you walk a certain distance faster now than when you began? Is your heart rate slower now?

Don't get discouraged. It can take weeks or months before you notice some of the benefits of exercise. Have fun. Enjoy yourself. And most of all, take time to enjoy being with your family.

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Dr. Martin Ruzek is an internal medicine physician with Seacoast Medical Associates in Newburyport.