Posted on: May 17, 2017

Cathy Hlavacek’s two sons, Shane, 9, and Kevin, 11, love Fitness Boot Camp for Kids so much that they’ve taken the class multiple times.

“Shane really loves the challenge of it. He really enjoys it and talks about it to his teachers,” she said. “I think they’ve done five sessions.”

The class is designed for eight to 12-year-old children and meets at Ackerman Sports & Fitness Center.  The next session is set to begin June 29.

Patti Lawler is the instructor.

“We take them through obstacle courses, games and activities intended to help them work on agility, speed and endurance,” said Lawler.

Steppers with risers are set up on the obstacle course, challenging participants to crawl under or jump over them.

“They’ve got to work on their balance and coordination,” said Lawler.

Children also play games with stability balls and other equipment.

Lawler said she helps students learn how to cooperate with each other for the good of the group through relay exercises.

“You work kind of on teamwork,” she said.

The class includes a cool down at the conclusion.

“We do a lot of stretching at the end to teach them flexibility is important,” Lawler said.

While the class is called “boot camp,” it isn’t as rigorous or demanding as it sounds, but it is somewhat challenging.

“They’re having fun and not realizing they’re making progress on their speed and coordination,” she said.

Part of the fun is the music. Lawler said she plays kid-friendly tunes and students are invited to help pick it out.

Lawler said the class meets for 45-minute sessions for four consecutive weeks. The first Fitness Boot Camp for Kids was offered last year.

Hlavacek said the class is well-suited to her two sons.

“They’re not very interested in team sports, but I still want them to exercise and stay fit. I was looking for something we could do that wasn’t a team sport,” she said.

Sonalee Mamgain said her two children, Dhruv, 9, and Kaavy, 11, have also made boot camp a habit.

“They went twice. They really thought it was an excellent program.  They really look forward to it,” she said. “It was fun to see their excitement about it.”

> To register for the June 29 session, please click here.