Growing up for most of us, however, play was a natural part of our daily lives. We didn't worry (at least not as much) about child abduction or other safety issues. Think about it, when did the bicycle helmet for the Huffy become standard equipment?

Of course I will make sure my daughter wears a helmet when she's ready for the bike, but as a kid we NEVER had helmets (or elbow and knee pads).

We didn't have TiVo and 500 channels on standard cable, or the internet, either.

Okay, now I'm sounding like my father. Ugh!

Seriously though, what we did do is create our own fun, and typically that meant lots of activity (back in the day).

I remember leaving my house first thing in the morning, and returning hours later after riding my bike, playing all kinds of games (baseball, slip 'n slide, basketball, kick the can, soccer, tag,) and engaging in tons of fun activities (climbing trees, swimming, etc.).

My friends and I NEVER thought about how far we ran or biked.

We didn't try to quantify how many squats or lunges we did - in fact, we weren't aware we were even doing them when we were hiding behind the bushes playing Hide and Seek.

But as we did these things - we prepared our muscles to be stronger and better suited for all of the other activities we did each day.

Play taught us something too. It taught us what we were good at - and what we needed to improve upon. Every day that we played we learned something about ourselves, other people and our bodies. Play taught us how to interact in the world around us, developing our social skills.

Exercise should be fun, it should feel a lot like playing. Yes, even as adults we NEED fun AND play!

Part of our mission at HealthStyle Fitness is to bring back that 'lost' play.

If you've worked with our trainers, or attended our Adventure Boot Camp for Women, or Total Fitness Makeover program, you've seen a lot of play and fun. It's different, constantly changing, challenging your body in fresh ways.

And with that play, just like kids, we gain more self- confidence, a thinner or firmer appearance, & improved movement patterns that all carry over to being healthier, happier, better functioning adults!

So, whatever you enjoyed as a kid, do that! Play, create games, exercise in a park, join a running group, dance in your living room for 30 minutes, just enjoy your movement and you'll be hooked for life!

And for those who have ever wanted to run a 5K, 10K, Half or Full Marathon, the HealthStyle Fitness running group begins next Tuesday, May 26th.

Some say, "running isn't fun, Brian!" And I probably would have agreed with that a year ago.

However, running in a group is a blast! Something about the group dynamics got our running crew hooked, and these were mostly people who reported that they "hated running".

Click here for details on the running group!

And while we're talking about the importance of play, Leigh, our certified kids fitness specialist, and I have finally launched a VERY EXCITING project in an effort to help the kids in Cincinnati get more play to enhance their wellbeing & development. The new program, FitKids, is targeted toward 4-13 year olds that just don't get enough fun moment in their day to day lives.

As we have researched and studied children's habits, they just aren't playing like we did as kids. That's a BIG BUMMER. Research shows that kids who play are substantially better equipped emotionally, mentally AND physically as they mature into adulthood.

You can learn more about FitKids by clicking here.

The program start on June 15th.