subject: Are Children Gyms The Right Approach? [print this page] Children start going to gyms when they are in school. Boys who want to make the school football team start taking their bodies very seriously. They undertake rigorous workouts and spend hours in a gym. All this may be good but as long as they don't overdo it. Parents should be careful once their children start going to a fitness centre.
The reason for this caution is simple. If a child gets over-obsessed about developing his muscles he may get onto steroids. This will eventually have a damaging effect on his health. Also there is an age at which children should join a gym. They should not join one while they are still growing up. This means that a child younger than sixteen should not join a gymnasium. They can play all the sports that their heart desires. But they should not join an exercise centre; if they do decide to join a gym it should be under strict supervision. No parent wants a child with injuries at a young age. So getting the proper instructions and being properly supervised in a fitness centre is important for children.
Every parent wants their children to be healthy, but not at the cost of their education. Therefore attaining that right balance between achieving a healthy body and good grades is of primary importance. Schools provide ample opportunities for children to grow and play and become reasonable, well balanced adults. Therefore there is no need for children to have to join an exercise centre. If the child is obsessed about bodybuilding then joining a children's gym is fine. But for the majority of children there is no such obsession.
Children do go through a phase in their lives when they want to become Superman or Batman and want to develop their bodies. This obsession is fine as long as it does not interfere with the child's natural growth and development. If it does, then it should be nipped in the bud. There is one encouraging sign; children nowadays are more aware of their bodily development and are more health conscious than the past generations. This is a good sign and should be encouraged.
Children can feel forced by peer pressure into joining a gym, but this is something for the parents to guard against. After all, it's their child and their responsibility. As long as a child is not led down the wrong path it's okay. Very young children should not be allowed to join a gym, and neither should they be encouraged to do so. Children are impressionable and if a child insists on joining a gym the parents must reason with the child. If peer pressure is being exerted, parents can easily fix that.
Children's gyms, like gyms for adults, have become a fad. But children (especially youngsters) should not be encouraged to join them. There are plenty of healthy activities that children can get involved in. Children should only join a gym once they have matured, and not before that. Do some research before you allow your child to join a gym.
by: Paul Delaney
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