Toy companies create miniature exercise equipment for toddlers, experts say free play is better
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COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- It is play time for a group of local toddlers. Once a week they gather together with their parents for Fun Fit, a health club for kids.
But this is not your typical gym. There are no barbells or squat machines. Just some good old fashioned foam balls, a large parachute, and a handful of noisy musical instruments.
"I was looking for a class to get him around other kids, and to learn some things," Nicole Wells said.
Wells brings her toddler son to Fun Fit. Not because she is worried he is overweight, but rather to teach him healthy habits, she explained.
"I think it gets him interested in something new, and if not, it is just something to look forward to once a week, for them to get out and be around other kids in a gym setting," Wells said.
Libby Weinstein started up the Fun Fit classes in Colorado Springs. She said there was a local need for health classes designed for toddlers.
"For this age kids it is really, really important for them to have a mom or a dad or a nanny figure to do it alongside with, because it gives them a boost of confidence," Weinstein said.
Weinstein said if parents want their children to learn healthy habits, then they need to be there right along side them demonstrating the behavior.
She said routine is key.
"We do the exact same thing with the exact same songs, in the exact same order for an hour. Children at this age like to know what is coming next," Weinstein said.
So if children like routine, then would not they like to use a toddler-sized treadmill, elliptical or stationary bike once a week instead?
Experts said not necessarily.
"If it gets you to move--although I would much rather bundle up and go play outside. But if you do not have time for that, at least it is something," Weinstein said.
"I do not think it is something every parent needs to be motivated to go get. Just kids free playing outside at the park is equally as good as putting them on some elliptical or treadmill," Carin Rowan said.
Rowan is a pediatric outpatient coordinator with Memorial Hospital. She said the one major thing stationary equipment is missing is parent involvement and interaction.
Rowan said parents need to play with their children and should not be afraid to let them get dirty. As soon as they are walking and crawling, she said teach them to be active.
"Kids, after awhile, they want to move and explore and they are curious, and being outside provides much more an opportunity to do that then being on a treadmill when you are two."
To sign toddlers up for Fun Fit, log onto this website.
Click on the movie camera/video icon on this page to view the segment as it aired on FOX21 News.
