How do I Choose the Best Kid Fitness Program?

There are several important elements to look for in choosing a kid fitness program. These include the qualifications of the personnel, the suitability for your child, the convenience for your household, and the cost. Before choosing a fitness program, you should be clear about what your goals are.

People sign their children up for a kid fitness program for several reasons. One is because the child asks to join the program. This is usually the best reason, because the child’s interest and participation are the key element for the program to be successful. Children may also be signed up by parents who are told that their child needs more exercise and don’t know what else to do. Or participation in a kid fitness program could be a precursor to trying out for a team or attempting a specific sport that requires a higher level of fitness than the child now possesses.

Places that offer kid fitness programs may include after school programs offered by the school district, parks and recreation programs, community centers, YMCAs or JCCs, or private health clubs. The availability of programs may be announced in brochures, newspapers, and radio spots, or you may find them on the Internet or on posters located at schools, stores, and the places where the programs are offered.

Anyone who runs a kid fitness program should have qualifications both for the training part and for working with children. Fitness might seem like a kind of thing that anyone can lead, if you think of it in terms of jumping jacks and dodge ball. On the other hand, if you consider it from the point of view of the National Association for Sport & Physical Education (NASPE) standards for physical education, you can see that training and understanding should underpin the person leading the fitness program.

Matching your child to a kid fitness program involves taking into account any disabilities or sensitivities that your child might have. It’s also possible that the program can be adapted for your child in certain cases. Choosing a type of fitness approach that is a good fit for your child — whether it’s Pilates, running, yoga, or Tae Kwon Do — will make long-term commitment to the program more likely.

In deciding whether a kid fitness program fits your household’s needs, you should also consider convenience, cost, and the length of the commitment. Also consider that other activities besides those labeled “fitness” can provide sound ways to gain fitness, and that, for example, exercising in the course of learning to play a sport may provide more positive investment that simply exercising to exercise or for the sake of fitness.