Alison Sweeney’s 7 Family Slim-Down Secrets

Between juggling two jobs and taking care of her family, Alison Sweeney is, in a word, busy. Which is why the Days of Our Lives star and host of The Biggest Loser has developed a knack for sneaking in exercise wherever and whenever she can. So if a busy summer schedule has derailed your regular workout routine, Sweeney says it’s time to start looking beyond the gym. “There are a million fun ways to stay active in the summer. Exercise doesn’t always have to be a set routine in a gym or a [group fitness] class, and kids are a perfect example of that,” Sweeney says. “My children are nonstop, running all over the place, but they’re never actually ‘working out.’ Just get out there and have fun with your body.”

Read on for Sweeney’s 7 slim-down tips that’ll keep you happy, energized, and lean—and out of that stuffy gym—this season.

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“I took my kids to the beach over the weekend, and I got a good workout just chasing my son through the surf, and playing tag and catch by the ocean,” Sweeney says. “A lot of things happen in a simple game of catch that are [often] part of a normal workout routine, like running back and forth, and diving for the ball or reaching down to get it when it hits the ground. But doing it in a casual environment with your child is a lot more fun.”

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“If you’re already in a bathing suit ready to catch some rays or read a book, get in the pool and work it out before you relax,” Sweeney says. “Swim laps, practice kicking on a kickboard—it’s a fantastic workout and it’s really easy to do. Swimming uses muscles you never even knew you had.”

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“Biking is a really solid workout,” says Sweeney. You get your cardio, but it’s also good for your abs, because you have to engage your core to balance on two wheels. “Rent a rack of bikes for the family and get out there!”

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Need a kid-friendly activity that burns calories? Go fly a kite. “I think it’s a great one,” says Sweeney. “Until it’s up in the air, it can be a really good workout. You don’t realize how much you’re running around trying to get it off the ground. It’s actually better if you don’t get it up there,” Sweeney says with a laugh.

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“My son plays baseball, so we’ll play a little family game,” Sweeney says. “Again, all the little things that kids do [for fun] can count as a workout if you just get invested in it and commit to chasing him around the field or trying to tag him.”

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“I’ve started [stand-up] paddleboarding, which is like paddling with an oar as you stand on an oversized surf board. It’s really cool, and it’s hard,” says Sweeney. “It’s a mistake to think you’re just using your arms—you have to get your whole body in there to push that paddle.”

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“We like to go hiking as a family,” Sweeney says. “There’s a nice, leisurely path at a park in our neighborhood. I quickly realized that the walking part wasn’t going to be enough for me to consider it a workout because [my kids] stop so often. I made a pact with myself that the entire time they’re stopped, I’ll do squats or lunges or something. So while they’re looking under rocks, I’m doing jumping jacks. My kids think I’m crazy, but it works. And sometimes they join in, which is hilarious.”

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