Obesity rates among children and teenagers are on the rise, putting kids at risk for a number of potentially serious medical conditions. Read on to learn what this means, why it is happening, and what some health clubs are doing to combat this growing epidemic.
It’s no secret that kids today are facing a whole new set of challenges in life, and one of the greatest threats to their long-term health and wellness is a growing increase in childhood obesity rates. Today, it has become more urgent than ever for health clubs to develop creative ways to reach out to kids of all ages to help reverse this alarming trend.
WHY IT’S IMPORTANT
While we would all agree that childhood obesity isn’t good, it’s important for health clubs to be aware of just how serious this epidemic is becoming. According to the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2003-04, between 14 and 19 percent of youths in the United States are considered obese. Results from the previous 1976-80 survey are dramatically lower, showing between 5 and 7 percent obesity rates. Lifestyle habits, like increased portion sizes, increased consumption of sugary “energy” drinks, a lack of regular exercise, increased television and Internet time, and sedentary activities like texting and gaming are all working against the development of a healthy lifestyle in children and teens. To make it worse, overweight kids are more likely to become overweight adults, and the CDC also found that childhood obesity can lead to an increase in psychological stress, impaired social function, cardiovascular disease, asthma and diabetes, just to name a few.
While the causes of the obesity problem (a lack of physical activity and a poor diet) may be obvious, and the consequences serious, the solution (to get kids to exercise more and eat better) is a bit more complicated. Parents and health clubs have to combat all kinds of distractions and temptations that lure kids into an unhealthy lifestyle, and one way they’re doing this is by finding creative ways to make exercise fun and accessible.
HOW IT CAN BENEFIT YOUR CLUB
Not only will kid-friendly programming help to combat the childhood obesity epidemic, but as Dina Weir, Junior Programming Director for ClubSport in Pleasanton, California, points out, “Members love having their children in a safe, fun environment that introduces the importance of exercise at an early age.” New youth programs also offer market differentiation because they are more than just daycare, giving clubs another reason to reach out to members. As an added bonus, youth programming can increase the number of family memberships at your club, which can strengthen retention numbers because members will be less likely to quit if kids start clamoring to come along for workouts. In addition, while it may be difficult to predict exactly how it will impact future club membership stats, it seems likely that clubs offering youth programming are building members for life at a very young age. Finally, if a club wants to maximize their presence in the community, kid-friendly programming is a great way to do it. With the childhood obesity epidemic in the news more and more often, clubs offering solutions to this problem have the chance to position themselves as the “go to” spot for kids’ fitness solutions in their area.
PROGRAMMING
There are quite a few possibilities for club owners who are interested in working with kids, so it makes sense to start by tailoring your programming and marketing to the age range you plan to attract. For example, toddlers and other young children need programming that provides a higher level of supervision and interaction with staff. On the other hand, teens require less supervision and are often attracted to interactive and exergaming equipment, as well as to more traditional-style workouts like circuit training, along with other programs and activities that allow them to compete with peers. In the clubs we spoke to, the ages ranged from six months to 15 years, depending on the program. While this may seem young, experts agree that children imitate adults, which means that early exposure to healthy living and active lifestyles could make a difference in how kids view fitness as they age.
ClubSport Pleasanton offers a full range of daycare and youth programming, and sees an impressive 300 to 350 kids daily, ranging in age from 6 weeks to 13 years. For toddlers, they offer a variety of sports and exercise related activities and classes in their Kid Fit and Club Kid areas, including dodgeball, Fit ‘n Fun (a little introduction to exercise), climbing, dance classes and obstacle courses, just to name a few. For older children and teens, ClubSport Pleasanton offers many of the same activities, but adds junior group exercise classes, the Wii system, a pool table, foosball, air hockey, and a small basketball gym to the mix. The programs and activities are all geared towards encouraging kids of all ages to discover that fitness is a rewarding and necessary part of life.
Town Sports International (TSI) began offering Sports Clubs for kids at many suburban locations back in 2000, and currently offers kid-friendly activities in 28 of their 165 locations. Programs are open to ages six months to 13 years, and include swimming, summer camps and all-star sports classes. At many clubs with basketball, volleyball, tennis or squash courts already in place, special lessons are also available for kids. In a further effort to reach out to kids and the community, TSI provides year round instruction for several Girl and Boy Scout fitness badges, as well as special events and activities for school field trips and post-proms.
In 2006, TSI took their youth programming a step farther and launched their Ignite Youth Sports Performance Training program, which focuses on building speed, agility and quickness in young athletes ages eight to 18 years. According to Cheryl Jones, Vice President of Programs and Services, “Girls and boys have the opportunity to start with the fundamentals of fitness and progress into serious athletic training for specific sports.”
Lifestyle Family Fitness has launched a summer campaign, now in its third year, that offers free summer memberships to teenagers ages 12 through 17. “By inviting teens to work out for free, we can help them engage in a healthy lifestyle and establish a life-long routine that includes fitness,” says Geoffrey Dyer, Founder of Lifestyle. Interested teens must first visit their nearest Lifestyle Family Fitness with a parent or legal guardian to sign up, but after registration teen members can visit any location, unaccompanied, seven days per week until 5 p.m.
EQUIPMENT
While the possibilities for youth fitness programs may seem endless, there are some options that seem to be a sure bet for attracting kids – namely those that involve gaming and/or kid-centric workout equipment. By now, everyone knows that kids love technology; from MP3 players, to computers, to video games, children and teenagers across America are definitely plugged in. To get kids’ attention (and get them away from the T.V. and into the gym), some innovative clubs have begun to offer interactive fitness equipment, exergaming, and specialty circuit training equipment that is made just for kids. According to the American Association of Pediatrics, kids are most impressionable between the ages of six and 13, making this a great time to develop good habits.
In response to the interest in interactive fitness, Makoto USA has developed the Makoto Arena, which is a freestanding, interactive game and fitness system that is made up of three vertical “arms” that are held stationary by a base and equipped with colored lights that turn on and off at intervals or when hit successfully by the player. The Makoto Arena is appealing to kids and club owners alike. Kids love it because it keeps score, it’s okay to hit it, and has a high “cool” factor due to its use in military, Special Forces, and professional sports training. Club owners like the fact that it is compact, easy to set up, and comes with a variety of programs. In fact, Makoto offers a slew of gaming options for players, including sports-specific protocols for soccer, basketball and baseball, making it fun for individuals or teams to play. In addition to providing a fun and physically active workout, the Makoto Arena has also been shown to help kids (and adults) with a multitude of disabilities, including anger management, autism, ADD/ADHD. The Makoto Arena retails for $7,395.
A different approach to the problem of getting kids interested in working out has been taken by Hoist, which has developed a line of kid-sized fitness equipment, called the KL line, that many clubs are offering in a circuit training class format. Fitness equipment for kids that closely mimics what adults use is also educational, since it helps familiarize kids with “adult” strength training exercises in a fun, safe environment. Hoist provides a circuit training workout that accounts for the biomechanics of a child, instead of just “shrinking down” adult sized machines. This helps to prevent injury by making sure that the user is engaged throughout the entire exercise, and achieves the unrestricted joint movement and core activating benefits of functional training, coupled with the stabilizing benefits of machine-based equipment. Instead of an age range, Hoist uses a height range to determine whether a child can use the equipment, which is available for kids from 4’2″ to 5’10”. Costs for the Hoist KL line range from $15,000 to $20,000 for the complete circuit, with machines also available for purchase on an individual basis.
The Strive Youth line of strength training and exergaming equipment is kid-friendly and incorporates traditional strength training with an interactive element. Strive’s exergaming systems require the user to be more involved physically than some, promoting speed, agility, lateral movement, strength and reaction time. In addition, kids get a great cardiovascular workout and the chance to learn about conventional fitness solutions with an interactive element. Strive President and CEO, John Salvitti, is quick to point out that exergaming is not a replacement for a real workout, and believes that it is crucial to incorporate balance between fun and fitness in order to promote successful long term solutions to the child obesity epidemic. Strive offers scalable packages to suit both space and budgetary constraints, and full equipment commitments start at $25,000.
HOW TO GET STARTED
First, decide how much you can allocate in space (and dollars) to a youth fitness program. Then, focus on developing a program that will appeal to your target market. For example, if you want to begin offering enhanced daycare services that also introduce toddlers to exercise, make sure to let current members know about your new offering through your staff, as well as posters, flyers and mailings. On the other hand, if you want to reach out to local teens in the community, you will probably need to plan for some outside marketing in addition to spreading the word within your club. To make space, some club owners are converting unused racquetball courts, group exercise rooms or other “dead” areas into interactive workout rooms or kids’ fitness areas. Also, be sure to check your club’s insurance policy for restrictions on age and supervision requirements for children and teens to make sure you’re covered.
Childhood obesity is a serious issue that is threatening not only the health of children and teenagers today, but is also putting tomorrow’s adults at risk for lower productivity and a poor quality of life. By developing programs in your club that will help reverse this trend, you can also build strong relationships with your members – of today and tomorrow – in the process! –
Resources:
ClubSport Pleasonton: www.clubsports.com
Gamebike: www.gamebike.com
Lifestyle Family Fitness: www.lff.com
Makoto: www.makoto-usa.com
Hoist Fitness Systems: www.hoistfitness.com
Strive: www.strivefit.com
Town Sports International: www.mysportsclubs.com
