Health Clubs Want Tweens to Exercise
Feb. 24 -- At health clubs across America, chances are increasing that the person working out next to you is, like, in middle school.
That's because health clubs are focusing their attention on tweens — kids between 9 and 13 — who often are more likely to plant themselves in front of a computer screen than hit the treadmill.
Most gyms cater to adult professionals, people in their 20s and 30s. But one of the fastest-growing demographic groups in the industry is people under 18. According to the International Health, Racquet and Sports Club Association, this group's club memberships grew 189 percent relative to the total number of members between 1987 and 2002.
And the clubs are responding to the demand. "There is a growing segment within the club industry that is committed to providing programming for the entire family," said Bill Howland, director of research at IHRSCA. "Not all clubs are going in that direction. For those that are, it's a big part of their business."
The need for such services has never been more urgent. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, increasing numbers of children are obese or have high blood pressure or cholesterol levels. In addition, weight-related type II diabetes, formerly called adult onset diabetes, was virtually unheard of in young adults a decade or so ago but is increasing across the United States, according to the center. And three-quarters of obese teens eventually become obese adults.
At the same time, many schools have removed or limited the time that students spend in gym class, and that has prompted parents to seek alternatives. According to the CDC, just 25 percent of eighth-graders are required to take physical education, and by 12th grade only 5 percent of students are required to take physical education.
A Fun, Healthy Solution
To combat weight gain, often it is mom and dad who seek programs for their tweens to become more physically active.
