Acting Like a 7-year-old: Zumba Kids Recap!

You've probably heard this before: 30% of American kids are obese or overweight. They're supposed to get 60 minutes of structured physical activity per day, in addition to free play time, but school schedules are including less and less active time. We have a major challenge on our hands.

Photo credit: Zumba.com

That's part of the reason why Zumba created the Zumba Kids  (ages 7-11) and Kids Jr. (ages 4-6) programs. According to Zumba.com, the benefits of Zumba Kids are that it "helps develop a healthy lifestyle and incorporate fitness as a natural part of children's lives by making fitness fun... Classes incorporate key childhood development elements like leadership, respect, team work, confidence, self-esteem, memory, creativity, coordination, cultural awareness."

I took the Kids training with Stephanie Masceri at convention and really enjoyed it. Though it's not a ZHO official rule, Stephanie's advice is that no one under 15 should participate in a regular adult class. I hear her on that... I don't want to be the one to teach a kid how to body roll or shake what her mama gave her. So, having the official Kids format in your toolbox can come in handy when your gym or community wants to offer our favorite fitness class to kids.

I won't give away all the details, but the format includes a warm up, teaching kids a simple routine, teaching them a core rhythm, and playing some dance games, followed by a cool down. I love that it's both educational and fun - the perfect activity for a once per week enrichment or to offer as part of a broader after-school program.

Here's a pro tip: put a sticker on kids' right shoes or a stamp on their right hand to help them learn directions and keep them from trampling on each other!

I've never met a ZES I didn't like, but Stephanie was particularly awesome. She was incredibly knowledgeable about kids physical development as well as their social/emotional needs... and she's an amazing dancer, too. I highly recommend tracking her down for a training!