Starting early will go a long way for children. We explore several fitness programmes that the city has to offer
Adults call it working out; kids just call it playing. And it’s never too early to begin. In a world where games are confined to the Wii console, PlayStation, iPad or mobile phone, and playgrounds are at a premium, it’s easy for kids to settle into a static way of living. Parents who want their children to have a more active lifestyle are fostering the need for activity centres that incorporate movement and fitness into their kids’ lives from an early age.
There are several spaces in the city that offer programmes aimed at children from as young as three months old. Jyoti Kamboj Mahtani’s Gym Todz in Kilpauk is a parent-child programme that focuses on various aspects of development, stimulating not just physical activity, but also auditory and visual skills. “When I moved to Chennai, I wanted a place that would help my children learn to love being active and fit. Since there was nothing like that, I started a place of my own. Of course, by that time my kids were too old to need it,” she laughs. The main aim is to give kids something that will help them explore and experience the world around them.
At one of their morning classes on a weekday, the toddlers are allowed to run and jump around the childproofed indoor play area. Accompanied by their mothers, it’s clear that they are enjoying their time together. The teachers are infectiously enthusiastic and cheerful, and turn up the music when it’s time for group activities. This includes sitting on a log, walking along it for balance and pushing it back into place, pulling on a rope, and bursting bubbles. They sing and clap along, cheering on the kids individually, and guiding the parents to ensure that everyone is prepared and no one gets hurt.
Riya Anish aka Naz, founder of Studio 49 Dance and Fitness Zone at Saligramam, is a certified Zumba instructor for kids. “I see a lot of parents give their children a tablet or mobile to keep them occupied. Even in schools, physical activity classes have been whittled down to once a week, where most children simply sit and chat. Of course, there are space constraints, but there are other ways of getting kids to be active,” she says.
With a background in training and personality development, she also incorporates activities that stimulate the mind, into the kids’ Zumba workout. “Before we start a particular kind of dance, we will talk about where it originated from, give them information about the country and culture, and sometimes, even pair them up and ask them to choreograph a small piece. This gives them a deeper understanding,” says Riya, adding, “It’s about making them work out even without realising it; this can help improve memory in obese children, enhance their endurance levels and body balance.”
Places like the recently-launched iSpark Nutrience Kids Fitness Studio in Gopalapuram have professional trainers and nutritionists on board to gauge and assess the children’s fitness levels and guide them on the right regimen. Apart from fitness classes, periodical activities for the mind, and workshops for personality development are also being planned. Their healthy birthday parties are also a way of making clean living a lifestyle. Kartwheel in Adyar offers a colourful and stimulating play area, featuring a ball pit, rope bridges, trampoline, climbing wall and more.
Maverick Fit Kids, based in Indira Nagar, aims at taking the fitness programme to school. According to their website, it is a “holistic fitness curriculum for schools, with an innovative, interdisciplinary approach to exercise, combining strength, yoga and dancercise…” Apart from the sessions, children are also given homework to get off the couch — this involves their parents as well.
If your child isn’t into sports, these are just some of the ways to get him/her interested in fitness. Finding out what interests them will go a long way in making them healthy and lifestyle-conscious adults.
9th March 2016.Hop a little, jump a little.The Hindu.retrieved from
http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/fitness/hop-a-little-jump-a-little/article8331443.ece
