Exercise programs for children can be fun and encourage good, lifelong healthy habits

Local fitness programs are sparking interest in health and nutrition among youth in the community.

According to a 2007 National Survey of Children's Health, 31 percent of Missouri children ages 10 to 17 were considered obese or overweight. This earned the state a rank of 23 compared to the rest of the nation. The same survey revealed that nearly 30 percent of the same age of children participated in vigorous physical activity every day.

When children engage in these healthy habits early, they often carry them on into their adult lives, said Donna Mehrle, assistant coordinator for the Food and Nutrition Education Program of Columbia, Mo.

Mehrle also is a coordinator for MoCAN, the Missouri Council for Activity and Nutrition, an extension program of the University of Missouri. MoCAN is a group comprised of multiple organizations that work to change policies and provide more healthy food choices in hospitals, worksites, schools and daycares.

"These recent studies show that children are more active," Mehrle said. "I think Missouri is doing a pretty good job of teaching children to be healthy. Our concern is that many environments just don't provide healthy choices."

In schools, for example, Mehrle said she believes educators realize the importance of promoting physical activity through physical education classes and recess, may not be able to provide proper equipment or space due to lack of funds.

In the Cape Girardeau and Jackson area, Fitness Plus and HealthPoint Fitness provide more after school activities with a fitness focus for children of all ages.

In its Kids Bee Fit class, HealthPoint wants to prove it's never too early to teach children the benefits of exercise and good nutrition. According to fitness instructor Jane Oehl, the class is open to children ages 2 to 6.

Oehl said the classes typically begin with a small lesson on health or safety, which relates to following activities.

"If we do a lesson on muscles, like the heart for example, then I might bring a stethoscope in," Oehl said. "Then the children can listen to their hearts while they're sitting still, then run around for a while and listen again to hear the difference."

Fitness classes for younger children typically include musical activities and obstacle courses, Oehl said, because they encourage the children to become more active without realizing they are exercising.

Scott Givens, manager of HealthPoint in Jackson, said the classes encourage children to look at exercise more positively.

"Sometimes, like in P.E. classes, exercise is used as a punishment," Givens said. "We want to teach children while they're young that exercise can be fun so that they follow these habits into adulthood."

Givens said although it is a common belief children are more active than most adults, health-care providers are seeing more sedentary children at a younger age.

"We have more pediatricians and parents calling us, concerned about a child's weight or cholesterol levels," Givens said. "They've become inactive and need help putting balance in their life, and we can help them do that."

Kids Bee Fit also has captured the attention of local daycare providers. Angela Venable started running an in-home daycare in Jackson last August and said she has been bringing her children every Tuesday.

"I have about six children that I bring to the class," Venable said. "It's something different and exciting for the children, and the instructors are great. We've been coming every Tuesday and haven't stopped."

Learning the basics

Jeremy Barnes, professor of Health Promotion at Southeast Missouri State University, said exercise classes designed for preschoolers are important because they "set children up for success."

"They're actually learning about the organs and the muscles as they exercise," Barnes said. "As long as the instruction is age appropriate, the sooner children learn the basics of exercise and nutrition, the better."

At Fitness Plus, instructor Katie Farrar makes an effort to balance her classes for the Fit Kids program, designed for children ages 6 to 12, so each child knows how actively to engage in healthy habits.

Her classes begin with a lesson on nutrition, which is incorporated into the activities. Farrar said she tries to make each lesson interesting so the children want to engage in the habits outside of class.

"We teach them about health in a variety of ways," Farrar said. "That way it's a little more fun for them,and they realize they can be healthy and active anywhere, not just in here."

The children in Farrar's class unanimously agreed they enjoy the class.

Jake McCann, 4, throws a ball during a game of Gotcha during a Kids Bee Fit class March 1 at Southeast HealthPoint, 410 W. Main in Jackson.

"We get to play a lot of games," said 10-year-old Lindsay Baker. "And we share a lot of laughs."

The other girls in the class, 9-year-old Loveta Miller and 10-year-old Taylor Wessell, also said they enjoyed the class and learned a lot about exercise and nutrition.

For the boys, it's all about the games.

Tyler Abner, 8, Julian McBride, 11, and Bryan Crowell, 13, said they enjoyed all the activities, especially dodge ball. Despite all the running and jumping, they agree the game never feels like exercise.

For Bryan's mother, Jamie Crowell, it's a pleasant surprise to see her son involved in a program like Fit Kids.

"I made him come to the first class, but he liked it right away," Crowell said. "This is one of the only things I don't have to tell him repeatedly to get ready for. He doesn't want to miss it."

Crowell said although her son is above the age limit for the program, he was allowed to continue. After seeing a positive change in his habits, Crowell said she hopes to enroll Bryan in another session in the fall.

Although Barnes and Mehrle encourage involving children in fitness programs, they noted the effect parental involvement can have on a child's habits. Barnes said parents should be a "model" for their children, and Mehrle said previous focus groups conducted in Missouri have shown children would like their parents to be involved in their physical activities.

The Cape Girardeau Parks and Recreation Department offers a variety of group fitness programs with no age specifications. According to recreation coordinator Stacey Welter, this allows families to enroll in classes together. Welter said the programs are in the morning and evenings at several locations, including the Shawnee Park Center and Osage Centre.

Becoming involved

March is the month to sign up for many of the city's youth programs, Welter said. From swimming lessons to Track Club, city programs offer children and families more active opportunities as spring approaches.

Welter said program schedules and sign-up dates are available at the Osage Centre and the Parks and Recreation website: www.cityofcapegirardeau.org/Parks.

The Fit Kids program requires registration and begins its second session on Sept 9. Classes are from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays in the Health and Wellness Center at Saint Francis Medical Center.

The fees are $25 for children included on a family membership at Fitness Plus, $45 for children whose parents are members and $65 for nonmembers. Scholarships also are available.

Fitness Plus also offers family fitness classes, summer camps, after-school recreation and the preschool fitness class Leaps & Bounds. To sign up or learn more about these events, contact Dianne Lawrence, assistant manager for Saint Francis Health and Fitness, at 331-5302.

The Kids Bee Fit program does not require registration and costs $2.50 per child per class. The program is held at 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays at HealthPoint Fitness in Cape Girardeau. At HealthPoint Jackson, classes are from 9 to 10 a.m. on Tuesdays and 10:15 to 11:15 a.m. on Fridays.

HealthPoint Fitness in Cape Girardeau also has family fitness centers, youth personal training, supervised weight lifting and boot camps for children ages 6 to 12. For additional information about the classes, call 243-2211 or 986-4400.

srinehart@semissourian.com

388-3641

Pertinent address:

150 S. Mount Auburn Road, Cape Girardeau, MO

1625 N. Kingshighway St., Cape Girardeau, MO

2126 Independence St., Cape Girardeau, MO

410 W. Main St., Jackson, MO