We have a large junior membership at the gym, and there’s strong science behind why it’s great for kids to exercise. I’ve been telling parents the following vital information for over 20 years.
Up to the age of 20, you can produce an almost unlimited amount of fat cells, so lifestyle choice becomes so important.
If you eat a lot of refined sugars and saturated fat every day, which basically means you eat a lot of processed foods, ready meals, sugary drinks etc, you are going to hasten quickly the rate you develop fat cells.
If you don’t exercise much for whatever reason (it doesn’t engage you, you have been shown how to do it properly in a fun way etc), then your rate of fat cell production can multiply quickly.
The amount of fat cells you produce levels off around the age of 20, and then you are pretty much stuck with that amount of cells. You can still be fit and healthy of course, but those formative years are so crucial.
It’s clear to see that whatever your children do before the age of 20 has a bearing on the rest of their lives. If they are active and eat well, then not only are they having an excellent foundation for the rest of their lives, but they are making the task of living a healthy lifestyle quite a bit easier after the age of 20, than someone who has lived unhealthily because they will have a lot less fat cells.
Our initiative at the gym when the Coop bought into our vision of having free fruit after each kids group session was a real turning point for our community, every child gets a piece of fruit no catches. The association the kids make with healthy eating and exercise is so much stronger.
The improvement in the groups has been staggering, with the parental feedback incredible. Exercise not only has a great effect on your body, but your mind too, and we passionate believe that any child in a well designed exercise programme that is FUN will have a massive head start in life.
Giving your child a great start through exercise and eating right has never been so important, and we are thankful we have a great community in Burry port, Llanelli, Kidwelly and surrounding area supporting us so well.
