Youth Training Programs - Making Fitness Fun for Kids

It is a well-documented fact that today's kids are less physically active than the kids were of a generation ago. Television, video games, and computers have turned today's kids into sedentary "couch potatoes." This inactive lifestyle leads to overweight unhealthy children with low self-esteem. Take a look at these facts:

• Obesity in children has doubled over the past two decades. This increase in body fat has been associated with a lack of physical activity combined with poor nutritional habits
  (American Academy of Pediatrics, July 1997).
• Television, video games, entertainment, motorized transportation, fast food, and a lack of regular exercise contribute to the poor physical condition of our society (Office of the
  Surgeon's General, 1996 Report on Physical Activity and Health).

Participation in a youth fitness program is a wonderful way to get children of all ages (8-14 years old) and abilities to consistently take part in a fun, challenging workout that will improve their self esteem, fitness level, and show them that fitness is fun! Children need to exercise for the same reasons adults do:

• Regular physical activity is linked to a wide array of physical and mental health  advantages (American Medical Association, 1995).
• Children involved in regular exercise earn better grades and have better social skills than those who are not (American Psychological Association, 1996).

A sound youth fitness program should be organized, supervised, and run by professionals.
Programs should be designed to help the pre-adolescent become more physically fit, promote an active and healthy lifestyle, as well as prepare them for high school athletics. Activities should include calisthenics, agility drills, stretching, and general conditioning. The workouts should be fun, challenging, and a very positive experience!

Here at E.A.T.S. , we run several youth fitness programs that accomplish all of the above. Our Junior Fitness Program is a comprehensive program committed to helping parents establish a healthy foundation of exercise and proper nutrition for their pre-adolescent age boys and girls. This program addresses the fundamentals of a healthy, positive lifestyle.. but most importantly.. we show kids that FITNESS IS FUN!

Alan Stein, CCS, CSCS