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More Families Going to Kid-Friendly Gyms Together

Posted on: Tuesday, 28 March 2006, 06:00 CST

ANAHEIM, Calif. _ Maria Rodriguez used to skip her workout on weekends. She spent sedentary Saturdays watching her daughters play soccer and practice gymnastics.

Then she discovered her gym offered quality time drenched in sweat.

Rodriguez, 37, and her girls recently stretched into yoga poses, tossed plastic balls back and forth, and stomped and swayed around the aerobics room at Bally Total Fitness in Anaheim, Calif.

"I like to encourage my kids to have physical activity," said Rodriguez, whose daughters are 10, 9 and 7. "They really love it."

While youngsters traditionally have been welcomed only in gym day cares, Bally hopes to gain more members by melding fitness and family. Another company, FitWize for Kids, has gyms exclusively for kids 6 to 16.

The reasons come down to changing lifestyles.

Kids are growing heavier. Schools have scaled back physical education in favor of academics. Children play inside more, whether on video games or the computer.

Additionally, working parents want to spend more of their precious free time with their kids, even squeezing in an hour at the gym.

Nationally, children make up the second-fastest growing segment of fitness-club memberships after adults over 55, according to the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association. About 4.6 million kids under 18 belong to gyms and account for 11 percent of the market.

Fitness companies _ from equipment manufacturers to DVD-workout producers _ are designing products just for kids.

But some caution that growing children can get hurt in gym-style workouts without proper supervision.

"They have to have appropriate training if they're going to have success and avoid injury," said Dr. Ralph Gambardella, an Anaheim orthopedic surgeon. "A 6-year-old or an 8-year-old doesn't know what's best for him in terms of how much training."

Bally's "BFit Family Fitness" class began in January as a nationwide experiment.

Company officials said the Saturday program is beginning to take off and, at least in Orange County, Calif., will be permanent.

"The company for years and years has always been an adult club," said Richard Kim, general manager of the Anaheim club. "We've missed some business due to not allowing children in the gym."

In a highly fragmented industry, gyms seek ways to distinguish themselves.

Clubs now offer classes just for seniors. Some have valet parking. Others appeal to young, single professionals and make a point of excluding kids.

Gyms also hope to cultivate brand loyalty, not unlike a preference for Nike.

"(Kids) gravitate toward those brands once they get older and have the ability to make those purchasing decisions," said Matt Messinger, spokesman for Bally.

Pat Buchan, 30, brought his 7-year-old daughter Katelynn to the Bally class. Father and daughter grinned while swinging their arms like an elephant's trunk and marching around the room like a band.

"It's a way to get her out of the house and exercise," Buchan said. "She likes me to participate with her."

A few gyms only accept underage members.

Lourdes Alberto and her husband John will open FitWize in May in a Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., shopping center.

She describes the gym as "Curves for kids." Children can earn prizes for working out, like backpacks and school supplies.

Unlike gyms for adults, there are no mirrors or scales.

"It's an absolutely fun way, especially for children who are not used to doing a lot of the team-oriented sports," Alberto said.

Parents can drop their kids off for an hour of circuit training on equipment designed for smaller, still growing bodies.

The equipment is made by Hoist Fitness Systems of San Diego.

"I get calls every single day from people who want to open kids' fitness centers," said Bruce Kaplan, national sales manager. "It teaches them a lifestyle of fitness."

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(c) 2006, The Orange County Register (Santa Ana, Calif.).

Visit the Register on the World Wide Web at http://www.ocregister.com/

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Source: The Orange County Register

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