Rayed Zafar was happy to spend a few of his summer afternoons sweating it out at the gym, because “being fit is really important” for the Class VII student of La Martiniere for Boys. Drop by Nutrience Kids Fitness Studio and you will find several school-going fitness enthusiasts like Rayed working out on the cross-trainer or the manual treadmill. 

For nutritionist Hena Nafis, the idea behind opening the fitness studio for kids was to catch them young. “Kids are growing intellectually today but physically they are having adult diseases, which we could not imagine even a few years back. So, it is very important for them to be physically fit right from childhood,” says Hena. 

The studio, on the first floor of her clinic, Nutrience, tries to mix fun with fitness. There are equipment like skiing, snowboarding and surfing boards that test your balancing skills alongside working your lower body. And since all the equipment are manual, the kids have to use physical strength to manoeuvre them. “The gym has been designed to keep the kids engaged as well as make them feel comfortable,” Hena says. 

“We focus on the stability of the body. We encourage the kids to play outdoor games as well,” added Preetom Mukherjee-Roy, the instructor at the gym. 

Nutrience Kids Fitness Studio
Where: 2B Colonel Biswas Road (near Mithai in Beckbagan)
Open: 3pm-7pm on weekdays; 9am-noon on weekends

Expert speak

It’s important for kids to start training and exercising as early as possible, and making it a part of their lifestyle, rather than doing it later to only lose weight. It’s best to train in an open space, if available. Let them run and play as much as they can till they are tired. I do lots of fun games with my young students and they love to be competitive. You do have to ensure they’re not jumping on hard surfaces because that can be bad for growth plates and could cause lifelong injuries. The idea is to stay healthy and fit all the time.

—  independent fitness trainer Tudu Sailen

 

Try these too

Zumba

Amit Shaw, Zumba instructor, on the dance form:

1. Kids have a lot of energy and Zumba is a positive way to channelise it, ensuring a healthy lifestyle, encouraging teamwork and socialisation, making them confident in life.
2. We break down the steps, especially for those who are four to seven years old, because their attention span is much shorter. Unlike Zumba for adults, there is plenty of talking to walk them through the kid-friendly steps.
3. The Zumba Kids class incorporates games and is fun, energetic and there’s a lot of laughter. 
4. There is a special Mom and Me Zumba session at Dew Drops (27B Dr Rajendra Road) for toddlers (2-3 years) and their mothers. 

 

Shinkyokushin Karate

Shivaji Ganguly, branch chief, Shinkyokushinkai India, on the benefits of the martial art form:

1. Children have flexible joints, so we concentrate first on developing flexibility because once that is enhanced and the child keeps practising, it stays for life.

2.  Children are like sponges; they absorb whatever you teach them. We make them do certain things like cleaning the dojo and teaching them to pack their own bags in the camps, as being self-sufficient helps them grow mentally.