Fitness and Well-Being

Harvey Howard is the owner of My Gym Children's Fitness Center in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. He is a certified special education teacher, elementary teacher, guidance counselor, and student assistance professional located in New Jersey. Here he discusses how parents can find the right fitness program for their child.

When parents begin looking for a fitness program for their child, there are a number of factors that should be taken into consideration. Some questions parents may want to ask themselves'as well as the instructors working at the program'include:
Does the program address different areas of children's development'in terms of physical and emotional development?
Does the program have a variety of challenging activities'such as a climbing as well as tumbling?
Are kids having the opportunity to be in different body positions'i.e. are they developing more body awareness of themselves in the process?
Is there a happy sense about the activities that are going on?
Do the instructors seem engaged with the children?
Have the instructors learned the children's names?
In the instruction, do all children feel like they are being encouraged?
Are children praised for doing their best for trying, or is there a sense of failure with their attempt?
Do instructors work with children of different levels of development?
Does everyone have to perform at the same level to get the same amount of reinforcement?

Children ages 2 and 5 have vastly different skill levels in terms of what they can accomplish, which is why it is important to find a facility where kids of all ages are encouraged equally, no matter how well they can perform certain activities and skills.

Parents should not just check out just one program. Rather, they should personally visit a number of facilities and ask for guest passes so they can try out the classes and get a better feel for what is going on there.

Once a child has started attending a new fitness program, it is important to stay alert and make sure your child is still enthusiastic about going. Kids are just like with adults. We go to fitness programs that we like and have fun at. So it should be the same bench mark for your children. If they are not having fun, they will not want to keep going. So some things to keep into consideration even after your child has started classes at a new facility include:

Are they excited to go or are you forcing them?
Does it look like your child takes ownership of wanting to go?
Do they want to participate in the activities?

By keeping these questions in mind, parents will be able to decide for themselves whether the gym they have chosen is really the best fit for their child

The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.