There is a large percentage of kids’ in America who are obese…yadda yadda…we keep hearing this. I was happy to read an article today from the Canadian Press which discusses the fact that there seems to be a growing number of children in the U.S. between ages six to eleven who have gym memberships or who are participating in local fitness classes and activities. I was thrilled to learn that fitness centers are trying to appeal to the kids with what’s currently popular:
“At Action Kids Fitness Center, with two locations in California, children can take a 40-to 45-minute circuit training workout with resistance machines and cardio stations, including stationary bikes that connect to PlayStation 2. The centre also has hip-hop dance, yoga, karate and monthly nutrition classes.”
And you thought video games were the enemy. For those of you who don’t already know, the Wii Fit came out recently (Dreamgear Wii Fit 5-in-1 Fitness Bundle – $79.99 on Smarter.com) and promotes kids’ not sitting on their bums while playing video games, but interacting physically with the games.
I’ve heard there isn’t as much movement going on during the games as one would imagine. But, I say…moving a little is still moving…period. I’m sure the makers of the Wii Fit have heard complaints and will hopefully improve the games to make them a bit more “high impact” for their Wii Fit 2 release.
Another issue that was brought up in the article was the fact that kids are not going outside to play:
“In the ’50s and ’60s, kids were playing and they were playing outside,” he said. “We didn’t have all these concerns about overweight, out-of-shape kids.”
Sadly, many would agree that playing outside is sometimes not an option considering how high their paranoia is about living in an unsafe neighborhood.
Click here to read the entire article.
More alternatives are needed:
I’ve mentioned some of these videos before, but if you want your kids to safely work out inside the house you should check out some of these fitness videos for kids:
Get Fit Kids, Vol.1: Hustle – Bustle Move Your Muscles!: $10.34
Roberta’s Fitness for Kids: $6.86
Fun House Fitness – The Swamp Stomp and The Fun House Funk: $3.58
What other ways do you try to help your kids stay fit? That is, if they are not really into playing sports or dance classes?
About evette
Aerobics are the best form of exercise to get the highest calorie and fat burn. These types of exercises get your heart and blood pumping and releases oxygen to your muscles. Fat needs oxygen to burn so you are more effective at burning fat.