Mason and his wife were quite active when they first got married. When the weather was good they would ride their bikes to work, and on the weekends they often went hiking or kayaking. Now they have two preschool-age children, and their usual activities don’t seem to work in their new lifestyle. They have to drive to work to take the children to daycare, and the children are too young to hike or backpack. Mason has noticed that he has gained a little weight. His parents are both quite overweight. His mom has high blood pressure and his father has type 2 diabetes, and neither of them is very active. Mason wants to be able to stay active and healthy as he gets older, and he’s starting to realize he needs to make some changes.

1. What would you recommend to Mason and his wife to help them stay active?
2. In addition to exercise, how can Mason minimize his weight gain to help reduce his risk for developing high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes?