Pilates

With the increasing phenomena of child obesity, combative measures need to be taken to support your kids in taking to a regular useful exercise routine. With kids increasingly spending more time likely playing video games than actual outdoor games, there is a growing need for easy exercise routines that work specially for kids. Fortunately, as with many educational needs today, there are plenty of excellent and inexpensive instructional tapes and DVDS catering to the younger fitness seeker. Many of the popular regimes adapt the Pilates method to kids exercises. The low impact routines, designed to be fun and provide variety for young attention spans they can provide an accessible introduction to the valuable lifelong habit of regular exercise. The fact that mums (and dads of course) can join in and supervise the sessions in the living room, thus creating a great opportunity to bond and put the DVD player put to good use for once, aren't bad side effects either!

Programmes for younger children are naturally based less on hardcore body sculpting and more on the strengthening and stretching benefits of the traditional Pilates exercise routines. With the added benefits of helping to improve balance and coordination. While there are instruction tapes for as young as 5 you're probably better of starting around 8. If only because they are more likely to follow through with the exercises that certainly demand a little more patience than skipping rope. Although the exercises are certainly more useful and challenging than the plain old pressups and situps they may have picked up at gym class in school. Of course there are increasingly challenging workouts available through the so-called 'tween' and more traditional teenage markets. Importantly, Pilates kids exercises work supporting their growing physiques and not working against them, unlike oftentimes inappropriate agressive gym weight routines.

For the sporty kid, Pilates exercise routines are a great cross-training supplement to all manner of stamina and fitness routines for sports as varied as gymnastics, soccer, hockey, ballet and lacrosse. Flexibility and core strength go a long way on the sports field and in their young everyday lives. Building stamina especially can help combat teenage sleeping bouts and sharpen the much needed attention spans needed for schoolwork and studies. Though once again, as we always recommend, diet and nutrition play as important a role as any fitness regime.

Perhaps most importantly, Pilates allows kids to work with their own body movements and get a real sense of the connection between their body and mind. The kind of mastery that contributes to better self-esteem, coordination and a familiarity with their bodies that can only serve them well as they go through the growing changes. With Pilates kids of all ages can exercise in a way that doesn't place them in a combative position towards their own physique as something to change and beat into submission, but rather a tool that they can strengthten to serve them well. A great lesson to learn, regardless of age!

Pilates |