Come on kids, get off the sofa; As kids get older they tend to find exercise less appealing and, as a result, they can become overweight. CLINT WITCHALLS persuades his daughter to try out some 'trendy' activities.Byline: CLINT WITCHALLS PRIMARY school children are constantly active. They are always climbing trees, skipping, playing catch or kicking a ball around. My 11-year-old daughter, Juliette, was no different. But it all changed when she moved to secondary school. Running around, looking like you're having a good time had become naff. The new cool was to slouch slouch v. slouched, slouch·ing, slouch·es v.intr. 1. To sit, stand, or walk with an awkward, drooping, excessively relaxed posture. 2. To droop or hang carelessly, as a hat. v. on your bed with a scowl on your face listening to Limp Bizkit. With recent studies showing childhood obesity increasing, I suggested she joined the school netball netball Noun a team game, usually played by women, in which a ball has to be thrown through a net hanging from a ring at the top of a pole Noun 1. team. This was met with a snort of derision. So I trawled around for something funkier and persuaded Juliette and her friend Millie to try seven different activities. Trampoline trampoline Resilient sheet or web (often of nylon) supported by springs in a metal frame and used as a springboard and landing area in tumbling. Trampolining is an individual sport of acrobatic movements performed after rebounding into the air from the trampoline. classes Cost: pounds 36 for 14 weeks Where: Clapham Leisure Centre, South London South London (known colloquially as South of the River) is the area of London south of the River Thames. Some neighbourhoods north of the Thames have South London postal codes (SW), but these neighbourhoods are classified as West or Central London. Instructor: Rohan Nichol (Tel: 0207 926 0700) Tiring: No Would you do it again? Yes Calories burned per hour: 172 Rohan Nichol, a former British Team Champion, told me the benefits of trampolining: stronger limbs, increased coordination, improved balance, self confidence, stamina and improved spatial awareness. Most of all it's fun. Juliette says: "It was really good. We learnt things straight away and the instructor was really funny. I did a straddle In the stock and commodity markets, a strategy in options contracts consisting of an equal number of put options and call options on the same underlying share, index, or commodity future. jump, a seat drop, and a half-turn. I also had to jump and hug my legs. "When I was bouncing on my stomach, I scraped my elbows because I wasn't holding my hands over my elbows like I was meant to, but it was worth it. When I finished, I just wanted to keep on bouncing." Star Rating: White Crane
For over eighteen years White Crane has existed as a quarterly forum for exploring and enhancing gay wisdom & culture. Kung Fu kung fu Pinyin gongfu Chinese martial art that is simultaneously a spiritual and a physical discipline. It has been practiced at least since the Zhou dynasty (1111–255 BC). Cost: pounds 40 annual membership, pounds 3 per lesson Where: St Faith's Community Centre, Red Post Hill, Dulwich, South London Instructor: Denis Mikhailov (Tel: 0774 896 5588) Tiring? Yes Would you do it again? No Calories burned per hour: 490 The girls assumed kung fu would be like Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Charlie's Angels. They thought they'd be learning flying kicks and fancy chops. What they got was a lot of cardiovascular and strength exercises with only a few minutes actual punching and kicking. "We didn't get to do any fighting, just kicking the air," says Juliette. "And some of the exercises hurt - it was more about testing the flexibility in your legs.Star rating: Fencing Cost: pounds 4 a lesson Where: Salle Coton Fencing, Dunraven School, Streatham, South London Instructor: Tony Coton Tony Coton (born May 19, 1961 in Tamworth, England) was an English footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He was renown for his excellent reflexes and shot-stopping abilities. (Tel: 0208 640 4702) Tiring? No Would you do it again? Yes Calories burned per hour: 294 The girls were kitted out with a protective vest, a mask and a foil (the sword). They learned to extend (lunging with the sword), parry (to block) and riposte ri·poste n. 1. Sports A quick thrust given after parrying an opponent's lunge in fencing. 2. A retaliatory action, maneuver, or retort. intr.v. (an offensive action made immediately after a parry of the opponent's attack). "We took turns trying out the moves with the instructor," says Millie. "He was really friendly and helped us if we got stuck. It was fun." Star rating: Wall climbing Cost: pounds 2.05 per one-hour lesson (Wednesday, 6pm-7pm) Where: Brixton Leisure Centre, South London Instructor: Pascal Bressange (Tel: 0207 967 9133) Tiring? No Would you do it again? Maybe Calories burned per hour: 539 I was sure wall climbing would be a winner. So what did the girls think? "It was really hard," says Juliette. "After a while, your hands start aching." The limestone wall was designed so that the first two metres is very difficult, that way you need to be a good climber before you can go higher. The girls never passed the magical two metre mark, so fear of heights wasn't an issue. Millie says, "We didn't get much time on the wall - 30 seconds, or something." Most of the time was spent putting the harnesses on. By the time they'd warmed up, they only had half a minute each. On the next lesson, some kids didn't even get a chance to climb. Star rating: Yoga Cost: pounds 4 for 45mins Where: Art of Health, 280 Balham High Road, Balham, London Coordinates: Balham ['bæləm] is a neighbourhood in South London. Balham is an inner London suburb containing many Victorian terraced houses now highly prized as family homes. Instructor: Nell Lindsell (Tel. 0208 682 1800) Website: www.artofhealth.co.uk Tiring: Yes Would you do it again? Yes Calories burned per hour: 140 Yoga gurus claim that children, as well as adults, benefit from the calming effects of yoga. The girls pot this to the test. "The leg stretching was quite hard, but it felt good afterwards, I was really relaxed," says Juliette. "We also did a lot of exercises for our stomach muscles." Even though it sounded quite tough, the girls didn't mind. "The teacher was really good. She showed you exactly what to do," says Millie. Star rating: Street dance Cost: pounds 5 per hour Where: Pineapple Performing Arts School, Covent Garden Covent Garden (kŭv`ənt), area in London historically containing the city's principal fruit and garden market and the Royal Opera House. , London (Tel: 0208 351 8839) Website: www.pineapplearts.com Tiring: Yes Would you do it again? Yes Calories burned per hour: 235 Street Dance is the type of dancing you see on Top Of The Pops. Instructor Stuart Bishop looked like he could be in a boy band. At the end the girls looked worn out but happy. "There were about 20 girls in the class and quite a few were our age," says Millie. The music just about got the thumbs-up. "It was Jennifer Lopez-type music," says Juliette. "I don't really listen to that kind of music, but it was cool to dance to." Star rating:And now, just do it.. TO TRY any of these activities, contact your local leisure centre. If it doesn't offer them, you can go to the websites below to find your nearest club: Trampoline: www.british-gymnastics.org White Crane Kung Fu: www.kungfu-taichi.com Climbing: www.thebmc.co.uk Fencing: www.britishfencing.com Gym: Selected Cannons Health Clubs run fitness circuits for children. www.cannons.co.uk The clubs for yoga and dancing are too numerous to mention and there isn't a central governing body Noun 1. governing body - the persons (or committees or departments etc.) who make up a body for the purpose of administering something; "he claims that the present administration is corrupt"; "the governance of an association is responsible to its members"; "he , so it's best to seek out these activities locally. Gym Cost: pounds 2.50 Where: Latchmere Leisure Centre, Battersea, London (Tel: 0207 207 8004) Instructor: No specific instructor - each child is shown how to use equipment. Tiring: Yes Would you do it again? Yes Calories burned per hour: 343 Latchmere Leisure Centre runs a children's gym session between 1.30pm-5.30pm on Tuesdays. Each child fills in a health questionnaire before starting. "The running machines were really fun because we could watch TV while we exercised," says Juliette. "I ran for 10 minutes and on the rowing machine I did 2000 metres. Star rating: CAPTION(S): Millie, left, and Juliette look sharp; Juliette and Millie wanted more time on the wall; Picture: ALISDAIR MCDONALD |
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