Gyms for Kids
Fitness Centers are Offering More Options for Children
With childhood obesity on the rise, parents are looking for innovative new ways to keep their kids active and healthy. As a result, many have chosen to enroll their children in kids’ gym programs. While fitness centers previously only catered to teens and adults, more and more businesses are offering equipment and activities for younger members.
Children’s Gym Equipment
One of the major factors in getting kids to the gym is the availability of equipment to fit their small frames. Adult weightlifting and cardio machines are unsuited for kids, and children who use them are at a high risk of injury. To overcome this issue, companies like Pro-Maxima have created full lines of children’s gym tools. While many of these machines are targeted for fitness centers, sites like shapeupshop.com also offer kids equipment for home purchase.
Among the offerings for kids gym equipment are down-sized treadmills and elliptical for smaller frames. There are also kids’ ski trainer machines and a new walking device called the “moonwalker.” With a price tag around $1,300, gyms can even purchase rowing machines designed for youth members. Meanwhile, EDGE Fitness is manufacturing weight machines for kids that use hydraulics to create resistance. With no weights to maneuver, these machines are especially safe for children to use.
Kids Only Gyms
While many fitness centers offer programs for both adults and children, a few franchises have decided to open gyms exclusively for kids. One of the leaders in this industry is Fitwize 4 Kids. At this franchise’s facilities, kids can participate in a range of fun fitness activities and their accomplishments get rewarded with apples and bananas.
Meanwhile, another kid company, NexGym, offers young members exercise programs that resemble video games. On NexGym’s stationary bicycles, kids can race each other or computer competitors in a graphic gaming environment. Another offering includes virtual boxing with space-age settings. All in all, there are more than 20 video game workout offerings at NexGym locations, in addition to traditional group fitness classes.
Personal Trainers for Kids
Personal trainers are also seeing an increase in young clients. In the past, only serious child athletes saw such professionals for private sessions. However, now even average kids are signing up for personal training sessions to get fit and lose weight. According to the recent New York Times’ article "Playtime at the Health Club," many trainers promote their services for the whole family. So, parents who sign up for sessions also get their kids involved as well.
A Growing Trend
Of course, there are plenty of options for kids to get in shape without hitting the gym. Sports teams, home gyms, active video games, and traditional outdoor play are all great alternatives to a fitness center. However, when these alternatives fail, the gym seems to be the best solution. In fact, MSNBC reported that gyms saw 1.3 million kid members (between ages 6 and 11) in the last year alone (“Children hit tot-sized treadmills at kiddie gyms,” September 2008).
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