One man inspires rest of family to take up yoga

Fitness Editor's note: This the first of a three-part column series on families that exercise together.

About four years ago, Ed Shibley started something good.

He did it for himself, at first, but then several family members joined in.

Shibley started going to a yoga class. His daughter was in a dance class offered by Latin Ballet and he decided, after looking over the organization's leaflet, that yoga might be a good way to lose a few pounds and bring down his cholesterol and blood-sugar levels.

With just a couple of yoga classes a week, he was able to accomplish all of those health-related goals.

What he didn't predict was that his self-improvement efforts would prompt a couple of his sisters, a brother-in-law and several nieces to sign up for the same yoga class. His niece, Jessica Nadder, was the first to join him.

"And it just blossomed from there," Shibley said. Family members saw them perform yoga poses in a Latin Ballet recital.

Margie Shibley Gray, Ed's sister, was one of the relatives who started taking yoga after that. "We all decided, 'I want to be strong like them.'"

Ed Shibley grinned modestly. "I think they figured if I can do it, anybody can do it."

Now, there can be as many as eight family members in any one yoga class. It's a strong support network when the poses get tough, they said, and it's just a good way to get together.

"We try to make as many classes as we can," Ed Shibley said.

Working out with family is one of the best ways to stay on track with an exercise routine. If you're struggling to find ways to make a commitment for 2009, try to enlist a brother, sister, parent or a child to do the workouts with you.

Better yet, see if you can talk the whole family into exercising together. Even if it's just once or twice a week, that can be a good time to catch up as a family as well as do something good for your body. Exercise in the form of walking, hiking, biking and swimming can be good for most ages. Even the grandparents can get involved.

With childhood obesity on the rise, it's especially important to remember the kids when you're planning your workout goals. Don't let your children become couch potatoes while you're at the gym getting fit.

Margie Shibley Gray jokingly calls her brother the "chief instigator" for the family yoga sessions. And she's glad he had that influence.

She enjoys the classes, feels stronger afterward and hates to miss a session. But maybe even more importantly, "this is another way I can reach out to my brother," she said.