Personal Training for your Kids?

With the childhood obesity crisis still front and center, and over-worked parents unable to provide the knowledge and structure of a lifestyle adjustment, many families are outsourcing the task to professionals. Given the latest statistics from the American Obesity Association showing 30 percent of children aged 6 to 18 are overweight, and another 15 percent are obese, it's not surprising that parents are seeking new ways to combat the growing trend.

So, is a personal trainer really the solution? Not necessarily for everyone, but for some people it may be a perfect solution. Given that childhood obesity predicts adult obesity with amazing accuracy, parents and children are both wise to take action soon, and a trainer can provide direction, structure, and built-in strategies that help create a habit of healthy living when it can still have a tremendous lifelong impact.

Other reasons parents hire trainers for their kids include sports skill training or instruction and, of course, performance improvement. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics kids as young as 8 can benefit from low-resistance exercise with small weights and actually grow stronger with little risk of injury.

Is a personal trainer right for your child?
A trainer can be helpful in the following scenarios:

• Your child doesn't like organized sports
• Your child is self-conscious playing sports or trying new activities
• Your child has some health issues and you prefer supervised exercise sessions
• Your child expresses interest in personal training

What kind of trainer is best for my child?
A personal trainer who works with adults isn't always the best option for a child. Here are some recommendations for finding the best trainer for your child:

• S/he holds a degree and/or nationally recognized certification (ACE, NSCA, ACSM, etc..)
• S/he has experience training children, including a sense of humor and patience
• S/he creates training sessions around fun activities that aren't typical gym routines and include input from the child
• S/he offers a balanced routine of strength, cardio and core exercise.
• S/he helps the child find activities s/he is interested in
• Ask to check references from parents of other kid-clients
• Ask questions about the trainer's philosophy about working with kids and setting goals to see if you agree with the approach.
• Attend the first one or two sessions with your child and see if it meets your needs, and their's.

Keep in mind that as a parent, you need to be patient and encouraging for your child to get the most of the sessions. To improve motor skills, speed, and coordination, children need to work with a trainer once or twice a week for three to four months before they develop a habit of exercise and be motivated to start

For kids to develop a new lifestyle takes time, and the goals of you, your child and the personal trainer need to be realistic and modest.  Fitwell Coaching understands this and works with you and your child to ensure his or her fitness involvement is appropriate and safe.  Check out our Fit-Kidz program.