kids’ fi tness
Last month saw the first guidance document produced by the FIA to help clarify safety and ethical issues relating to children’s activities within a health club or gym environment. Dawn Tuckwell takes a look at how to get the 11- to 15-year-old age group effectively and appropriately engaged with gym-based exercise
catering for
kids A
dolescents are a notoriously difficult group to engage in organised activities outside of compulsory school
sports and physical education. However, successful provision of fitness products to this age group could contribute a great deal to the ongoing health of the population – as well as building relationships that lead to committed,
happy members for life. Little surprise, then, that adolescent fitness has been identified as a key trend for 2012. David Stalker, FIA CEO, says: “Over
the last few years, the FIA has received more and more enquiries requesting information on allowing children into gyms. Therefore, working in partnership with other experts, we have launched a set of guidelines for our
members who would like children to take part in their gym-based activities.” (See information box opposite.) “The FIA guidelines will be a great help
for forward-looking gyms and leisure providers wanting to put policies in place to run appropriate, safe activity programmes for children,” says Craig Jones, operations director at Fit For Sport, who was among the experts consulted by the FIA. “Developing sessions that deliver real value to young people and keep them coming back requires specialist physiological knowledge, instructional skill and sensitive activity design that allows social interaction – and lets young people be themselves.” Ben Gittus, standards manager
Operator SLM has recently dropped its
minimum age of 16 to also open up sessions for the 11+ age group
at SkillsActive, adds: “The National Standards and Qualifi cations have been in place for a long time, so it’s great to see that the industry is going further to assist fi tness operators in investing in the right training.”
getting qualified A number of UK operators already run successful schemes that offer examples of how to adapt 16+ activities to include a new 11- to 15-year old demographic –
36 Read Health Club Management online at
healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital february 2012 © cybertrek 2012
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