Three children’s gyms that make fitness fun

Things have changed. Times have changed. Kids don’t play outside organically like many of us did back in the day.

Running in the streets, climbing trees, jumping fences, playing traditional games like hopscotch, tumbling and jump rope were some of the activities we played as kids.

Nowadays, because safety is an issue for most families, kids are either kept behind closed doors, playing on gadgets or within the confines of their gardens at home.

This is why a gap opened in the market to create safe “exercise” environments like The Kids Gym, Bounce and City Rock.

The Kids Gym.

The Kids Gym has age-specific, fun exercise programmes for kids from the age of 18 months to 15 years, such as tumbling classes, skipping classes, core strength classes and aerobics, to name a few.

Bounce caters for children (and adults) four years and upwards. The majority of the facility is focused on a variety of trampolines, but there are group classes such as Bounce Fit and Dodge Ball.

Trampolining has become a workout many have taken to – not just kids but adults too. It’s good because of its gentle impact to joints.

Some of the Bounce facilities have an obstacle and climbing section called Clip ‘n Climb, which includes wall climbing and a variety of obstacles.

All areas are manned by qualified supervisors, so safety is guaranteed.

Bounce Inc SA.

I haven’t visited City Rock yet because my little one is not old enough. The entry age for climbing at City Rock is five years.

Climbing courses for kids include belay and climbing, which focus on basic safety and climbing techniques.

These three places work hard to keep activities fun for kids.

I think over time, as parents, we tend to accept that times have changed and leave the “playing” and “exercise” for the school playground and sporting activities we sign our kids up for.

We aren’t always there to oversee these activities so don’t know if our kids sit in the sandpit or under a tree instead of hanging on monkey bars and improving their upper-body strength.

City Rock.

We also don’t know if our kid is the team substitute or sits on the bench during sporting games.

As parents, we sometimes overlook the importance of strength and the conditioning of our kids’ tiny bodies.

We certainly don’t need them to be bodybuilders, neither do we expect them to do push-ups and burpees, but it is very important for them to be able to carry and lift their own body weight.

Imagine for one second your unsupervised toddler falls into the pool and manages to get him/herself to the edge but nowhere near the stairs. If they aren’t strong enough to carry their own bodies, they could land themselves in trouble.

Picture: iStock

Simple exercises, such as jumping jacks, tumbling, handstands, headstands, riding a scooter or bicycle, running around, climbing up, over and across obstacles and traversing monkey bars are some of the activities that can do your little one’s body the world of good.

We need to take more initiative to ensure our kids’ bodies develop the muscle strength and flexibility they need. Assess your kid’s level of activity and make a decision from that point.

Taking part in at least 30 minutes of activity every day is better than nothing.

Zulu is a qualified biokineticist and cofounder of PopUpGym. Follow her on Instagram: @letshego. zulu; Twitter: @letshegom; Facebook: Letshego Zulu

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