Welcome to Diet and Fitness Podcast, a free audio podcast sponsored by Diet.com. This is your fit, fun, and fabulous host, Lady Diet, ready to give you the skinny on the latest diet fitness health tips and news.

Are you a Toys R’ Us kid? Well if you let your fitness routine go into hibernation during the winter, you should consider becoming one! No kidding. Your workout might have grown boring while you were huddled inside this winter, but there’s no reason for the kids to have all the fun now that it’s safe to venture outside again! So go ahead and regress a bit this spring… I’m rolling out the top 5 kids’ toys that you should be playing with!

1. Jump Rope. Depending on your weight and the intensity of your workout, one hour of jumping rope can incinerate up to 800 calories,. It’s also a great exercise for balance. And an excellent way to increase heart rate and strengthen calf muscles. Change up your footwork to keep it interesting! Then challenge the neighborhood kids to a jump-off!

2. Skip-It! Remember these little gems that resembled a ball and chain for your ankle? When I was younger, you weren’t cool unless you had a Skip-It. If you’ve got to visit eBay to find one, so be it! Skip-Its get your heart rate up while they perfect your coordination. So lace up your high-tops, throw your hair into a side ponytail and get to skippin’!

3. Nintendo Wii. Gone are the days where playing video games meant sitting like a brain-fogged frog on a mossy log as your eyes glazed over with a zombie-like cloud. If you’ve got a Wii lying around your house, put it to work! There are a whole selection of games that will get your heart rate up and your body moving. Visit www.WiiHealthy.com for tips on how to make this console a part of your game plan.

4. Dance Dance Revolution. If you’ve ever watched a kid in an arcade play this game, you probably figured their mother had fed them too much sugar. The truth is that this game is a fast-paced cardio extravaganza that will get your feet and heart moving to the beat. But watch out – it’s addictive!

5. Pogo Stick. This springy stick packs an intense punch! Slightly unconventional, but definitely more exciting than a treadmill, bouncing on a pogo stick for an hour will burn 600 calories. So stick it to your calorie-intake and spend some time burning while you bounce.

When it comes to burning calories, kids have it so easy – thanks to their high metabolisms and fun toys. Stop staring enviously at your kids’ toy box while you grunt on the ground with your ab roller. Head to a toy store today and turn calorie burning into child’s play!

If you have any comments or suggestions about today’s podcast or any fun health diet or fitness tip, please feel free to email me at ladydietpodcast@diet.com.

Stay playing, stay losing and stay focused with Diet.com... this is Lady Diet signing off!