Kids-Only Gyms: The New Trend
Getting children to move is a challenge - a real challenge. Kids don't even need to move their legs if they want to talk with your friends. Just a mobile phone or Instant Messenger will do the trick. Video games like Dance Dance Revolution are one avenue to explore - and the range of exercise-based games is increasing. There are also gyms exclusively for children beginning to appear.
Fitwize 4 Kids, a gym for children 6 to 15 where workouts are rewarded with apples and bananas and include play like jumping rope, spun off 14 franchises last year nationwide. It charges $50 to $125 a month, and plans to open dozens more.There are even equipment companies such as Pro-Maxima beginning to make "child-size" machine weights.
Pint-sized Leg Press
Are we worrying too much? It is a fine line between encouraging a child to exercise, and implying that the child is unacceptable and "too fat". I'm sure the current generation of early adolescents are the most vulnerable and size-obsessed to ever walk the earth (just read some of the comments on Diet-Blog!).
Frankly, encouraging any sort of exercise is a good thing - the kids can even motivate the parents:
Omni [Fitness Club] member Roger Kitchen said he originally hoped the program would encourage his 10-year-old son Tre'von to exercise more. It turned out the program has helped dad, too -- Roger Kitchen no longer can use the excuse that he can't go to the gym because he has no baby sitter."Now he asks me, 'Dad, when are we going to the Omni?" said Roger Kitchen. "That motivates me also to get a workout." from the Peak Program in Michigan
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Gymboree has been around since 1976. This is for kids aged birth to 6 years. They have been very successful. This of course requires parental participation. I don't know if any of these gyms are a part of that company, but as a business, it would seem logical to expand and give the kids a place to go after six to keep making the money off the folks that love to do this. My grand daughter loves it.
Gymboree isn't about weight issues. It is more like a toddler safe play ground. To keep then going at it can't hurt.
ReplyI had a similar experience to Roger. It's really hard to find time for your own exercise when you've got kids, but since my gym just put in a child care center - my son loves it there and always asks when are we going back. And that motivates me to go.
Although the child care center does not have exercise equipment, it is very much based around activity. But also I think that it's important for children to learn from their parents by what they do, not just by what they say.
If they see parents motivated to get active, and exercise, they are more likely to become the same way. If parents sit all day and watch TV, then what can you expect of the children.
ReplyMy daughter spent a couple of years in gymtastics when she was two and three years old. Gymtastics is like gymnastics but for very your children and really teaches them about strength and coordination. I think that having her in Gymtastics also gave her a really good grounding in the importance of exercise in her life. My wife and I are quite active and my daughter knows now at five that it is an important thing to exercise regularly.
The trick now is to keep her interested in sports and exercise as she gets older.
ReplyA couple years ago when my son was 12 my husband and I realized he was turning into us - sedentary and fat. We had to do something, so we investigated the two national gym chains near us. One of these (we'll call it 24) said that our son had to be 14 years old to join. The other (we'll call it B's) was happy to have him at 12. So we all joined B's and have been going 3-4 times a week ever since as a family. It's made a huge difference for all of us.
Replyim a girl hus 14yrs old. i liv in london and there are no gyms rnd here hu take 14yr olds! its soooooo stupid coz i look like im much older! my body is probably the same size as 16 + aswell! i think we shud get these gyms here!
Replyhi im 14 years old and i weigh about 200 pounds i wanna lose weight please help me do this my prom is soon arriving and i am mad that i havent lost weight please your my only hope all i want is to lose the extra weight please help make this dream come true please help me
thank you for your time
ReplyThere is also a company that has put out a youth cardio line and I think their products are in Sportmart and Sports Authority. The poducts can be seen at www.kangafitness.com
ReplyI think this is a great idea, please help me find a gym
Replyin my area. My grandson would love this and I feel it would give him self confindence and help him lose weight.
I REALLY WANT TO TRY THIS GYM OUT IT SOUNDS GOOD
ReplyI am really disgusted that people think they need gyms to lose weight! You and your children should be outside playing catch or riding bikes. Kids have not gone to gyms for like the last 100 years why should they start now!! Encourage them to get off their behind (and probably yours too) and move! Go for a walk after dinner and speaking of dinner stop making premade processed foods for dinner and make healthy meals with veggies and protein!
ReplySwimming , bike riding , walking, playing tag or catch, dancing... even just jumping jacks or jumping rope these are all ways to keep your kids active and healthy.