I do completely agree that fitness for kids is important. At my gym they have kid-specific fitness classes and i think that's great. ALTHOUGH at my gym they also let kids (probably 10/12yrs old) in the cardio/weights area WHICH I HATE! Basically what happens is the kids just get on the machines to be able to watch tv. Generally it's the boys more than the young girls . . . there is supposed to be a parent within "visual" range of their kid but no parent ever tells their kid - hey, if you aren't going to use the machine, give it to someone else who is going to get a workout!!!!!!!! It's a crowded gym and I get soooooooooooooo p***ed off when kids are just standing their on an elliptical or treadmill watching tv and not moving. At my gym at work you have to have the machine moving to make the tv's work so maybe that's a way to combat it . . . anyways I've seen kids only gyms or kids only areas in other gyms around my city and I think that's a better solution.

I would LOVE for my kids to be able to work out at my gym BUT I would HATE to have a bunch of kids competing with me for machines, and being kids, undoubtedly unaware of etiquette, etc. So I think the only good solution is a kids AREA that is supervised by a kids-club gym employee. That would be awesome!

I think kids exercising is great, but if they're under teen-age, I think that there are plenty more age appropriate places for them than your usual adult weight/cardio center. Admittedly, I started using treadmills, ellipticals, and all those starting at around 15, but I technically wasn't allowed to be at my local YMCA without a parent after 7:30 PM under the age of 18. Being 18 now, I'm free to do what I please, but I still see those older than me give me funny, and somewhat irritated looks in the gym. I think that kids getting exercise is important, but the beauty of being a kid, I think, is that activity doesn't seem so much like a chore as it does when you get older. Kids are free to ride their bike, or throw a ball around, or play tag--what have you-- and that's entertainment to them for however long, and doesn't usually have that underlying sense of duty that it has for most adults. Not to say that adults don't enjoy their workouts all the time--I certainly love going out on my bike, whether it's for the sake of needing some movement in my life or just a need to ride around and get some fresh air. I just don't think that kids should feel the need to get on treadmills quite yet--that takes the joy out of things sometimes, and I wish that I'd had more joy for a few more years, in that sense.

No minors allowed in my cheap public park workout room, although the ghetto kids do sometimes sneak in to play around and be pain in the butt kids which I cannot stand since some of them don't really look like minors. NO to kids at gyms!

Must be 15 or older at gym. I think a kids only area is fine, but I would not like to workout with kids around. Heck, I don't even like most of the teens as they seem uanware of proper gym manners.

I work out at a community center and you have to be 16 to use the equipment, but there are still tons of teenagers who get on the machines. They don't seem to be on them to work out, just to have something to stand/lean on and yell to their friends all the way across the room. It really makes for an enjoyable workout session.

I think a kids' area or kid-oriented gym would be a great idea. Not so hot on the kids in regular gyms idea.

I always felt really self-conscious when going to the gym and never liked to be watched when working out, and the thing I've noticed about kids is that a lot of them tend to stare. That would bother me a LOT.

NO NO NO! I don't want to deal with little kids (I'm not talking teenagers) running around. And allowed in group exercise if they are OVER FOUR? ridiculous.

I get annoyed enough when people come into yoga or pilates late, the last thing I'd want is for people (kids) to be in and out of the room or up and down or doing their own thing (like, really doing their own thing, all over). Call me a curmudgeon, but I'd rather not deal with it. Getting them active in their own classes and space is great but if it's ruining my focus during the only one I get to that week, it'll just irritate me.

I definitely understand the concerns that people have voiced but honestly, there are plenty of adults who have trouble understanding proper etiquette and many children who have impeccable manners. Sad, but true.

There are no kids allowed at my gym, since it's only for employees. I am SO GLAD they don't allow kids in the gym to use the equipment because that would get really obnoxious. What would be cool would be some sort of supervised area with "kid friendly" activities, like a climbing wall or monkey bars or something like that so kids could do "kid things" while their parents work out on the machines.

We have a community gym in my apartment complex and it drives me crazy when kids are in there! We don't have much equipment and the kids play on the treadmill and elliptical and I have to wait until they are finished to actually exercise. Most of the time, the parents who bring the kids to the gym do not supervise them properly. The parents seem to think its a trip to the playground. Meanwhile, my husband had to quit lifting weights at certain times of the day because children were literally running circles around him!

I think gyms should have separate areas for children if they are going to allow them in the gym. I mean, honestly, can you get a good workout & keep a good eye on your children if they don't have their own designated activities? Of course kids will want to mess with all the equipment and get into things! I think I pressed every button I ever saw until I was 8! A children's play area or kid's yoga or family exercise classes are much better options and would be a much lower liability risk for the gym.

It does seem there would be a safety risk for kids at the gym.

I go to the gym to get some alone time, work out stress, and just generally relax. I don't want to have to deal with kids hanging out watching fitness classes, running around, or competing for machines. It's not cool, and I would quit any gym that allowed children. Get a babysitter or use a workout DVD, but seriously, no kids during gym time. Sorry if that sounds harsh, but that's how I feel.

I support kids exercising, but I don't support kids going to a fitness club. Kids would probably treat it like a playground which it is not. I go to the gym to relieve stress and having kids there would inhibit that. Responsible teens are great to have at the gym. But elementary/middle school kids wouldn't be so great to have around.

i used to work front desk at a gym, and one of our spin instructors brought her ten year old kid to a spin class. we only allow 12 and up at the gym, and they have to have a membership. but the instructor sneaked her in past us. anyways, the idea of forcing a kid to take an exercise class is just beyond me. it's setting them up for body image issues. let kids be kids: PLAY OUTSIDE for their fitness! don't confine them to a stationary bike, let them ride out in a park or up and down the street. honestly.

i'm a big NO to kids in the gym unless they're 15. i'd let them use the pool or basketball court if they were 12 and up because that's a fun activity. weight lifting and cardio machines are fitness equipment for people with no imagination and no natural predilection for play (aka, adults and teens).

My mom took me to her gym when I was younger for swimming lessons. But I was an abnormally quiet kid and calm kid, so no one really noticed me. When I used to go to gym, there's hardly any teens/children. Besides the occasional high school student who's an instructor in training, most of the people at my gym are adults. And when I do see a teenager at the gym, they usually blend in.
Really, I don't mind seeing younger kids at the gym. As long as they're quiet or in the daycare, it doesn't bug me.

I should probably mention that part of my total hatred for this idea comes from the fact that my gym had a day camp this summer and it was straight up HORRIBLE. Kids were screaming everywhere to the point where I could even hear my music, running all over the place, destroying the locker room, and taking over the pool so that those of us who paid for it couldn't use it for large portions of the day. I stopped going and switched to exercising at home or outside because it was so unbearable. I mean, I don't like the idea of kids at the gym anyway, but this totally pushed me over the edge. I would leave the gym 10x more stressed out than I was when I got there, and no amount of complaining to the management changed anything at all.

Meant *couldn't* even hear my music, not *could*. Oops.

I'm a teenager who goes to a gym that has classes for all ages. What bothers me though is that kids passing by the cardio machines on their way to i.e. tennis lessons go on the treadmills and play around with the speeds. Today, I was jogging on a treadmill and two young boys got on next to me and one of them started sprinting on it really fast, like really really fast. He was going so fast that he lost control and feel, his legs getting caught on the belt and then he fell over onto the floor! Everyone around, including me, looked at him like he was an idiot. First of all, he could've been hurt even worse, or even could have broken the machine. I think that if young kids are allowed in gyms, they should have all their lessons and classes in one area only, otherwise things get out of control.

its fun id but some of the equipment's are dangers for them

My gym is a private one in my office, so definitely no kids allowed. I don't feel as though the gym is the best environment to encourage children to exercise in; it seems like a much better idea to get them involved in activities that allows them to socialize with other children.

I think that having a kids area or kids time during the day is fine. But I would be really annoyed to go to a gym that I pay money for and have kids all over the place yelling running and making a mess of everything. I liked the way the last gym I used worked, there were no age limits, but anyone of any age being inappropriate was talked to. If you were using machines in a way that would hurt yourself or someone around you the person watching the floor would come offer a lesson. There were classes that I'm sure kids went to, and if they are quiet and participate I don't care. But its a gym not a playground or babysitter. Before you ask no I have no kids, no I don't want kids, and no I don't like kids. Shocker, huh?

Why would a kid need to go to the gym to exercise? It's called playing. That's a more age-appropriate way to burn calories.

I have never seen kids AT my gym. We have a daycare area in there separate from the equipment, but I still have never seen any there. The youngest kid I've seen there may have been high school age and he was there on the treadmill next to his mom. I don't want a 5 year old sitting in on my yoga class when I am trying to get inner tranquility though.

I used to work at a gym and I think kids under the age of 15 is dangerous. The basic problem isn't always the kids, but often (as many have already said) lack of parental supervision while kids are fooling around.

Also, heavy weights, loud music and people off in their own little fitness zone make for a very dangerous environment for little children.

As for Yoga and pilates classes (quiet classes, rather than louder aerobics classes) - completely inappropriate unless it's a children's class, rather than mixed.

The gyms that I worked at frequently had creche/nursery facilities which I think is much better.

I'm all for kid's fitness, but I agree with Katie225. There are many other ways a child could and should be exercising other than in a gym.

the ymca i used to go to redid the big basketball court and walled off a section for a "Fit Kids Zone". it was really cool, they had a rock climbing wall and dance dance revolution, and an area with ellipticals and stationary bikes for moms who wanted to workout and keep an eye on their kids. it was cool, we got jealous sometimes, it looked so fun!

I'm fine with them if they are in a kids' area, but small children should NOT be running around a gym. I'm imagining all sorts of liability issues for the gym too.

Can't they have a kids day? like in satc and Miranda hated kids day at her gym, lol

i haven't had any bad experiences with kids at the gym, but i do feel there are far more age appropriate ways for kids to be active.

If you want to work out with your child, take them out for a walk or to a park. The gym is dangerous for children, and for others around them if they are jumping around and misbehaving. Where I go, 14 and younger have to be accompanied by an adult, but there aren't many that young anyway. When there are, though, all they do is scream and run and get in the way of everything, and the few that do 'use' the machines just hang off of them and giggle and act like its a jungle gym. Why pay good money to annoy others and do what you could be doing for free at a park?

I started working out at our local gym when I was around 15 during the off-season and summer. I know that even teenagers could be encouraged to get out and ride their bikes or swim, but they aren't little kids anymore and I think it is understandable if they don't necessarily have the same urge to "play" for fitness. Though team sports are a form of play!

Little kids at the gym...even 12 year olds would bother me so much, it would just be a distraction, and I would worry about how safe it is. I don't know my gym's policy, but I never really see anyone under 17 or 18 in there now. There was a kid who was probably about 14 and his dad was trying to help him get in shape for football, but he definitely supervised him the whole time.

Juey- that sounds like so much fun! I live in the snowy north, and even though I liked being outside in the snow as a kid, I think it would be great to give kids some sort of exercise option that didn't involve frost-bite. And fun for the parents too. Though isn't it ironic that adults would rather watch their kids play while running on treadmills than chase after them?

Childhood is not for wasting in a gym! Kids should be out of doors playing, or involved in sports. I was in sports all through childhood, but only started using the gym when I was a teen to boost my training. Kids over twelve being in a gym is fine with me as long as they behave, but for younger children I think it is a horrible idea.

There are some under 18's in my gym and they all do the exercises wrong! I daren't say anything to them though cos they're bigger than me. I'd rather they weren't there.

I believe that kids aren't really supposed to be in a gym area, kids area of the gym, sure! But when I think back I was about 5 at the time and my mom took me to her yoga class, I had a puzzle and sat there quietly watching and then even trying some of the moves, but I think bringing younger kids into certain classes could be done if the child has manners or is quiet and respectful....really depends..

At the gym I was working at, only 12 and older were allowed upstairs in the weight/cardio area. Even then that was only after they took the required parent/child course on gym safety and they had to wear matching wristbands and stick together. Everyone else had to go to Kidkare. We did not mess around with that stuff.

The only exception was that occasionally when someone brought their child to aquafit, they were usually allowed to join in because it was fun and low impact.

to be honest, i don't think that it's a good idea. i would be really upset if my gym allowed children there. there's a gym that i go to in NJ that has a kids area, and they have parties there and that's ok to me, but i think that if they were allowed to use the machines and participate in classes that aren't designated for kids, then i would have a problem with it. i believe that kids should all be active and healthy, but i think that this is one thing that's a bad idea.

i know that in some places they have a kids day - and that's ok. have kids related fitness classes that don't detract from what adults are there for. i don't want to have to worry about hearing a kid whine cause they are tired or in pain or whatever the case may be. i want to go to the gym for a release

If the kids are well-mannered, I don't see a problem. We used to have young girls in our Zumba class with their mothers and they added to the fun. I don't like the idea if they're not supervised or if they're obnoxious.

Our gym is more like a hotel fitness center. It's very small and has keypad entry so there's no staff on duty. Usually we're the only ones there, but this past week there has been a group of 4 high school aged boys. Two of them really work out while the other two play on the equipment. It's really annoying and distracting. I don't feel like it's our place to say anything, but the two that are playing around are related to the owner so I'm not sure saying anything to him would be a good idea.

Our gym has kids classes and daycare. I enjoy my R&R time! I would love to have the option for mommy/son workouts, too, but I think that mixing it up in the general population isn't a great idea. With all the competition I have to get on the right equipment at my gym as it is, it would make workouts take even longer I think!

No way. I go to the gym tog et away from my kid and have some me time and I can just see kids running around not putting stuff back and I know if I took my kid I wouldnt get a quality workout because he would keep stopping me to ask something or to show him something etc. And I agree with the others where kids are ment to run around outside and play no 10 year old needs to be lifting weights to get buff just go natural free playing outside if enough.

Pass. A kids-only area is cool with me but I don't want to workout around them. With their parents doing their own workout, who is left to babysit? That's basically my issue, people don't keep their kids under control -- as previous commenters have mentioned. I want to be able to focus on my workout, not get distracted by kids running around, using gym equipment like a toy.

no kids at the gym. if they're penned in their kid area, then fine but i would hate to hate kids on the machines or by the weights. kids just annoy me in general and i don't want their bug eyes staring at me while i work on the treadmill or swim.

parents should be parents and teach them good ways of staying healthy and fit, other than going to the gym go outside, have fun, play together, be a damn family.

sorry if i sound so annoyed, but working out at my bfs apartment gym with a screaming tot banging on the weights was NOT fun.

Lol at your "bug eyes" comment Soniabonya! I felt the same way after the day camp that I mentioned above. I would come home fuming and annoyed, b*tching about how I'm so glad I don't want kids. Possibly the least relaxing workouts ever.

well over 12 is fine by me, they are young adults and perfectly capable of doing the right thing. anything younger than that should be banned.

i think kids twelve and up should be allowed to go to the gym. i am a teenager who excercises regularly and would love to go to a gym to workout. however, i do understand, kids can be a nuisance. kids under twelve should stay in daycare or at home.