Believe it or not, I actually spent part of Saturday afternoon running around a room on my "haunches" pretending I was a monkey (complete with screeching) --- trying to catch my fellow fitness professionals. Yup...true story. Plus, I think they video taped it, so I can pretty much forget that run for the presidency.
My company hosted a IYCA (International Youth Conditioning Association) Certification. It is a the first of its kind fitness certification designed to teach fitness professionals how to work with children. (Hint: you do NOT put them on machines).
Founded by youth fitness pioneer, Brian Grasso (and his associate, motor learning expert, Dr. Kwame Brown) the IYCA is committed to reversing the alarming decline in youth fitness. Both Brian and Kwame spoke passionately about the loss of "physical culture", particularly in childhood, that our country has under gone in the last several decades.
The data backs up their concerns:
- About 30% of children (6-19) in the US are overweight. About 15% of children 6-18 are obese.
- There is a racial disparity with low-income children faring even worse (23% of African-American kids, 18.9% of Hispanic children and 12% of weight children)
- Boys and girls are equally likely to be overweight
- This is more than triple the rate of childhood obesity in 1980
What is radically different about Brian and Kwame's approach to fitness is that they are passionately committed to making fitness fun -- so that kids get hooked on moving and being physical without ever thinking of it as "exercising". They found many ways to disguise some very sophisticated concepts in "athletic development" as games and pure fun.
I spent the better part of an hour:
- playing "monkey tag" (one team is "it" making screeching noises and the other team are running trying not to get tagged making "ooooh, oooh" noises)...you had to see it to believe it
- trying to stand up from being face down with my eyes closed the entire time, trying to end up standing on one foot with my eyes still closed and my arms overhead then hold the position until a verbal cue signaled that I should drop into 3 one-legged squats
- playing "red light, green light" with lunge walks across the room
- doing a Simon sez version of a "plank progression"
- jumping and doing half and full turns in mid air (okay, well trying to do turns in the air)
- being part of the rhythm machine (the leader makes a beat with her body - clapping, stomping and everyone tries to stay with her - (Bryna, one of the IYCA coaches was amazing at this!!)
Honestly, I don't think this is just "kid stuff". I think a ton more adults would be exercising if they were letting loose and having a good time being silly and laughing with other adults.
Ironically, they'd also probably be getting a more balanced, comprehensive and integrated approach to fitness -- and be at less risk for overuse injuries. The fact is, you can only do the same actions, machines and exercises so many times before your body breaks down.
Plus, the stress reduction aspect was amazing. At one point or another all of us were laughing hysterically at ourselves -- and our friends. Time flew and you didn't realize how hard you were working until you stopped. The competition was all in good fun and everyone felt they had a victory in something.
It was a powerful lesson for me as a fitness professional to remember to lighten up, worry less about "exercises" and let clients have some fun with movement. A lesson that I put into practice the following day when I tried a few of the things I learned with my very fit, very young at heart -- 67 year old client. Nope, definitely not just for kids...
Geralyn Coopersmith, MA, CSCS is an exercise physiologist, certified personal trainer and the creator of The Best Me Ever, a comprehensive weight loss and wellness system just for women
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