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Exercise, including strength training, can be a valuable part of the entire family’s routine as long as children are supervised and taught proper technique and form. At Future Fitness Wellness Center in Baton Rouge, Chris Gendusa says it’s common for parents to join his gym and then decide soon after that they want their children to join too. Gendusa also enjoys having his own son at the gym and has shared his love of exercise and a healthy lifestyle from an early age.
“Starting kids young helps build good habits,” Gendusa says. “It’s really important for a child to know that working out is as important as any other task they do daily.”
Future Fitness clients pay per session for an individualized workout with a personal trainer that considers that client’s specific needs and fitness goals. The facility offers a modern free weights area, state-of-the-art machines and access to a team of Personal Trainers, Nutritionists, Physical Therapists, Pilates / Yoga instructors and integrated health practitioners.
At Future Fitness, young people are able to take part in the same exercises and activities as adults. Everyone is supervised and has access to the same machines, free weights and classes. If a parent has a consistent workout routine, parents should introduce the concept of working out to their children, Gendusa says.
Gendusa suggests to start as young as you can by letting your kids watch you train. Also realize that playground play is part of working out because it teaches children risk and reward. Slowly begin to implement tasks, like asking them to jump up on a bench 10 times and then see how fast they can run around the playground, Gendusa says, noting that how parents phrase things is important.
“As parents, we have to either create a fun environment for kids or find a fun place for them to train and workout,” he says. “The last thing you want is for a child to feel that training is a chore that they have to do versus something they want to do.”
For more information about wellness options at Future Fitness, click here.