Ways for families to remain fit in the summer

The summer is the best time to start cultivating an active lifestyle, especially as a family, with the warmer weather and time off from school and work. There are many family-friendly activities to experience across in the Five Towns and Long Island.

Swimming is one way to stay cool while getting some exercise. Public pools such as North Woodmere Park, Lynbrook, and Echo Park Pool Complex in West Hempstead, are open to residents for a small fee. They offer hours of fun under the supervision of certified lifeguards.

At North Woodmere Park, there is an Olympic-sized pool with a diving pool and boards, a water slide and three pools for children, including a wading pool, a training pool and an interactive water-play area. The pool complex includes lockers, dressing areas, showers,

Monday to Friday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to- 6 p.m. (and holidays). There are also basketball courts, ball fields and a 9-hole golf course.

For a resident adults it is $9 per day; a resident child (4 to 7 years of age), $6; resident senior, disabled, volunteer firefighter, ambulance corps auxiliary police, veterans, $5; non-resident adult, $25, non-resident child guest, $20. Family ($265), individual ($110) and senior ($60) memberships are also available. A Leisure Pass is required for residents to receive the resident rate. To apply for a Leisure Pass, go to https://bit.ly/2XhZyzx.

Other parks in the Five Towns include Andrew J. Parise Cedarhurst Park in Cedarhurst, Nassau County’s Grant Park in Hewlett and Zion Park in Lawrence. Not that far away are Jones Beach State Park and Lido Beach.

Cedarhurst Park features a water park and an all-inclusive playground, fields, a gazebo and restrooms in proximity to the village’s business district. Grant Park has a playground, spray park, basketball, handball, paddleball and tennis courts, baseball fields, a horseshoe pit, picnic areas and a lake for fishing. Zion Park is geared for children 5 to 12 with a sliding pond and other playground equipment.

Jones Beach has 6.5 miles of white sand beach on the Atlantic Ocean. Excellent for a day of swimming and playing along the shoreline. There is also a miniature golf course, and basketball and shuffleboard courts. Lido is much smaller and includes a surfing area.

If you are looking for a more original way to incorporate physical activity into your day, a great option is the Five Towns Mini-Golf and Batting Range in Lawrence. It is open all weather-permitting days through the month of October. The activities are accessible to children and families of all different ages, “from six to sixty,” it is written on its website.

Throughout the summer special deals are offered to make it more affordable for larger groups and camps.

For a more direct approach to getting into shape, there are several gyms in the Five Towns. LA Fitness in Lawrence, has exercise machines and classes, as well as a childcare service called the Kids Klub to make it easier for parents to get to the gym more regularly. New York Sports Club in Woodmere offers children’s classes and swim lessons in addition to the regular ones that they offer for adults.

Jeffrey Bessen contributed to this story.