Gym sports child-size workout classes

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By Karen Goldberg Goff

Jessica Woessner tries to hit the gym three times a week. A little cardio workout, some strength training, and she is doing her part to maintain health and muscle tone. Jessica is 10. Her gym is Fitwize 4 Kids, a Sterling, Va., health club in the business of teaching children about fitness and encouraging them to adopt lifetime habits of working out and eating right.

"I look forward to coming here," says Jessica, who lives in nearby Lowes Island. "The trainers are nice, and they change the obstacle course every week."

Sally Nanas, owner of the Sterling Fitwize 4 Kids, which is franchised out of California, says she saw a need for a gym for children. For the very young, there are activity programs such as the Little Gym and Gymboree. For school-age children, there are a plethora of organized and competitive team sports and dance classes.

However, there is a whole segment of children who don't like organized sports and probably aren't getting enough physical activity. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says three out of five youngsters 9 to 13 report that they don't participate in sports or any other physical activity outside of school. Add to that the growing problem of childhood obesity, which has more than tripled in the past 30 years for children ages 6 to 11, and the market is ripe for children seeking a workout.

"Kids need to have physical activity," says Ms. Nanas, who has a 10-year-old son. "There are a whole lot of children who are not interested in team sports. There is nothing for those kids. For the kids who like to play video games, getting activity from Wii Fit and Dance, Dance Revolution is not enough."

The equipment at Fitwize 4 Kids includes circuit training similar to what would be found in a regular gym, but the equipment is scaled down for smaller bodies, and the weights are lighter, Ms. Nanas says.

"The equipment was designed by an exercise physiologist," she says. "It is designed for growing bodies. That is part of the reason why gyms won't let kids join until they are 14 - the weights are too heavy."

Additionally, cardio equipment such as child-size stationary bicycles and elliptical trainers, is available as well as a dance studio that offers group classes. Other fun activities - such as bouncing on a minitrampoline or wobbling on a balance board are set up around the space in stations and an obstacle course, which change every week or so. Employees supervise those working out at all times.

Fitwize 4 Kids has various membership packages, which include a nutrition program with a registered dietitian in addition to access to the gym facilities.

Working out at a gym can have benefits for youngsters who are involved in sports, too, Ms. Nanas says. Working on strength, conditioning and agility may help ward off injuries for young athletes, she says.

The American Academy of Pediatrics says strength training can be safe and effective if children follow proper technique and combine it with aerobic training with a goal of overall fitness.

For Jessica Woessner and her sister, Emily, 9, that is indeed the goal, says their mother, Darcy. Jessica likes to ride horses but doesn't get much exercise otherwise, Ms. Woessner says.

"She has shied away from competitive sports," Ms. Woessner says. "Yet she really needs a physical fitness outlet. This seems to be a supportive and fun outlet. I was skeptical at first, but what I really like about the gym is that there are no mirrors or posters like you would have at other gyms. It is all about [the kids], about doing their own thing and getting better and stronger."