Best Bets for Family Exercise

One of the perks of having kids is exercising while you're playing with them! St. Louis is home to several attractions that encourage sweat-inducing, heart-pulsing play. If you missed your workout, here are some best bets for places for the whole family to get some exercise without really trying.

City Museum
St. Louis' interactive museum begs its visitors to climb, scurry, slide, jump and crawl over, around and through numerous tunnels, trees, secret passages and other play structures. Our favorite activity: make the three-story stair-climb to the top of Monster Slide, which careens you right back down to the ground floor and the base of grand staircase.

The City Museum is at 701 N. 15th St., St. Louis, Mo., 63103.

Bounce U
Bounce houses often ban adults from their inflatables, but at Bounce U, as long as you sign a waiver, adults can bounce, slide and climb right alongside their kids. Be sure to check out the spider web at the Chesterfield Bounce U. It takes a lot of all-around strength to make it to the top of this elastic web. Bounce U offers Family Bounce Nights at their Chesterfield and South County locations for $8.95 per child; one adult bounces free with each child.

Bounce U has two locations in Chesterfield and South County.

Upper Limits
For a whole body workout for the entire family, visit the indoor rock gym at Upper Limits. During their family classes, an instructor will teach every member of your family how to enjoy the numerous climbing walls. Classes cost $20 for parents and children 11 and up, and $15 for children 10 and under, and include equipment and access to the rock gym for the remainder of the day.

Upper limits has two locations in St. Louis and West County.

Chesterfield Sport Fusion
Take aim at other members of your family, or team up against opponents during a good-natured game of dodgeball at Chesterfield Sports Fusion. A new adrenaline-pumping game begins every 15 minutes during the facility's open gym hours. Games cost $3 per person per game. Not sure you want to duck and dive from a dodgeball? Chesterfield Sports Fusion also offers rock climbing and an obstacle course among its many attractions.

Chesterfield Sports Fusion is located at 140 Long Road, Chesterfield, Mo., 63017.

Steinberg Skating Rink
Slide and glide your way to fitness at Steinberg Ice Skating Rink in Forest Park. While there's no shortage of ice rinks in the St. Louis area, only Steinberg offers public skating all day everyday. The rink is open seasonally and weather-permitting from November through March. Admission and skate rental is $10.

Steinberg Skating Rink is located at 400 Jefferson Drive, St. Louis, Mo., 63110.

Museum of Transportation
Climb -- literally -- aboard at the Museum of Transportation. You'll scramble up flights of stairs to explore the interior of locomotives, cabooses and tank cars at this museum dedicated to things that go. Be sure to walk up and down all the aisles of trains for a full workout. A bonus for calorie counters, the museum is built into a hill.

The Museum of Transportation is located at 2967 Barrett Station Road, St. Louis, Mo., 63122.

Take a Hike
The Saint Louis Zoo and the Missouri Botanical Garden are great places to pound the pavement and feature plenty of flora and fauna to distract the kids. Neighborhood and regional parks also provide opportunities for active families to hike. Read the Sprout Best Bets for Family Hikes for some great ideas for hiking destinations.

Explore a Park
Romp around the playground, kick a soccer ball or splash around the edge of a lake or stream. There is a park in St. Louis for every active outdoor activity. These links will help you find your family's next outdoor activity.

St. Louis Sprout Calendar Manager Liz Behan contributed to this list of best bets. Behan has lived in St. Louis since she was 4. Her husband and two kids, ages 4 and 2, are always looking for ways to burn off some energy and have a good time as a family.