Personal Trainer for Kids, A Good Idea?

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Personal Trainer for Kids, A Good Idea?

June 15, 2007

A recent report from Newsweek points to a trend in parents hiring personal trainers for their kids. Some parents do it to help with weight loss, others to give their kid a leg up in sports or simply because they want to instill in their child a love of physical activity, but regardless of the reason, I am curious how you guys feel about it. So do you think it's a good idea for parents to hire a personal trainer for their kids?

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28 Comments

BlooBayoo 5 years 28 weeks

I can see this being appropriate for a child participating in a specific sport and needing to get up to speed or train seriously or a child who needs to lose weight because they are obese.For the rest of the children, let's just let them play.

BlooBayoo 5 years 28 weeks

I can see this being appropriate for a child participating in a specific sport and needing to get up to speed or train seriously or a child who needs to lose weight because they are obese. For the rest of the children, let's just let them play.

mem952 5 years 48 weeks

Just training for the sake of it could be a bit much for a kid but if it was training alongside learning a sport or skill, involved interaction with other kids, learning and fun it could be great. But I think childhood obesity needs to be tackled on a family basis- the whole family should train and learn about nutrition together.

mem952 5 years 48 weeks

Just training for the sake of it could be a bit much for a kid but if it was training alongside learning a sport or skill, involved interaction with other kids, learning and fun it could be great.But I think childhood obesity needs to be tackled on a family basis- the whole family should train and learn about nutrition together.

pixelhaze 5 years 48 weeks

If a kid wants to learn to play the piano, you get him an instructor. If he wants to get better grades in math, you get him a tutor. So if he wants to make the basketball team, what's wrong with getting him a trainer? These people are experts in their fields and know the proper ways to impart this knowledge to their clients (so the scenario of six year olds in a military bootcamp is not a real one).

pixelhaze 5 years 48 weeks

queencessjosie 5 years 48 weeks

I think it should be the parent's job to make sure their children adapt healthy habits, but I suppose if the child is in desperate need of rigorous exercising, this might be neccessary.

Butrfly4404 5 years 48 weeks

I see everyone's point that kids are obese nowadays, but if the parents can make the choice to hire a trainer, they can make the choice to feed them healthy foods and maybe go for a walk or something. I just think it says a lot about how much time the 'rents are willing to give the kids.

TidalWave23 5 years 48 weeks

There is so much emphasis on weight and being perfect that I'd really hate for my (non-existent) kids to take having a trainer too seriously... I understand clearly that fitness is important, but come on...a 6 year old with a trainer? I have enough common sense to know how to keep myself active/healthy/fit, I could easily show my kids the same thing...Throw your kids out in the yard with some toys, or engage them in a game of tag or red rover, and you're set. No trainer necesary.

honeysugar28 5 years 48 weeks

It doesn't sound like a bad idea as long as they get excercise kids now are spending too much time playing video games and eating fast food they don't have healthy eating habits.

Butrfly4404 5 years 48 weeks

I like mme sky's idea - hiring them for a group. And I can see why people with too much money and not enough quality time with their kids would see that as a great opportunity. Also agree on personal trainers (if you have the money, that is) for individual sports. But if you are hiring someone to come to your house to 'exercise' your children, I think you'd be setting the wrong example for them. Like, "You're fat so this guy is going to make you work!" I say let kids be kids. Feed 'em right, give them a little sunshine and fresh air and they'll grow just fine. We don't need specialists for every aspect of their lives. A good game of kickball would not only develop muscle and burn fat, it would also develp invaluable social skills and teamwork abilities. Playing isn't just play, you know, it's how kids learn how the real world works. You just can't replace that in their lives.

Butrfly4404 5 years 48 weeks

I like mme sky's idea - hiring them for a group. And I can see why people with too much money and not enough quality time with their kids would see that as a great opportunity. Also agree on personal trainers (if you have the money, that is) for individual sports. But if you are hiring someone to come to your house to 'exercise' your children, I think you'd be setting the wrong example for them. Like, "You're fat so this guy is going to make you work!"I say let kids be kids. Feed 'em right, give them a little sunshine and fresh air and they'll grow just fine. We don't need specialists for every aspect of their lives. A good game of kickball would not only develop muscle and burn fat, it would also develp invaluable social skills and teamwork abilities. Playing isn't just play, you know, it's how kids learn how the real world works. You just can't replace that in their lives.

PrissyLilBadAss 5 years 48 weeks

Although it is promoting healthy living, I think its aiding them in being anti-social! Throw them in a sports program so that they can interact with other kids. That social aspect is a very important part of growing up!!!

truffy 5 years 48 weeks

It's hard to vote 'yes' with that scary picture, but I still did. Knowing HOW to exercise gets you halfway to wanting to do it. Lucky kids.

MonkiChriz 5 years 48 weeks

I agree that there's not much need to hire personal trainers specifically for kids UNLESS they're trying to excel in a certain sport. If parents feel that they need to hire personal trainers for kids, then they should at least be part of the training sessions and learn about physical fitness and nutrition WITH the child. It may be a fun family learning session (if you have the financial capability to do so, of course). Otherwise, get your lazy butt off the couch, excercise and learn about good nutrition with your kids. Info is free or cheap at libraries, bookstores, and online.

bnelson 5 years 48 weeks

Sorry couldn't use my grammar in that comment...it should be thier instead of there and now instead of know!

am 5 years 48 weeks

i agree with eaker. i never foresee myself having enough money or laziness to choose a personal trainer for my child. that is, unless he ends up being super-duper athletic and wants to go to the olympics... that's different, that's a special need. i'm just referring to basic everyday excercise.

bnelson 5 years 48 weeks

I personal train kids for a living...I work at Crossfit Kids. Everyday we do a warm up, a work out of the day, and a fun game like dodgeball. The kids LOVE IT! They are excited to do pull ups to see how many they can do! I think it is great that there parents want to instill in their children that physical activity is important! When I have kids I certainly do not want them sitting around watching TV and playing video games. They need to learn what is good for them to eat and what is not, we do not need another generation of junk food kids. We need to set up these habits know for children so that they can live a long and healthy life.

mrsgrillo 5 years 48 weeks

I spent hours in a small group with my basketball/track coach through Jr High and high school. We ran drills, practice ball handling, and work on plyometrics. We charted our progess and had little sessions each week about foods that would be good for us. Every day, we did different things in order to make us better athletes. None of us expected to be the best, or even thought we might play at a college level at a Division I school, but we did it because we wanted to better our skills. That being said, I did this on my own and was not pushed by anyone (except maybe the coach). girls I went to school with whose parents hired their position coaches for softball....They did not have such a great time.

mme sky 5 years 48 weeks

I'm a teacher, and our school recently eliminated phys ed for 8th graders. I think that hiring a "trainer" or fitness consultant of some kind could be a great alternative. I would suggest it be done in small groups to off-set the cost & make it more fun for the kids. A once a week "class" on fitness or nutrition could be really beneficial --- especially for kids who are not involved in any kind of sport. This approach could show them that there are ways to be fit and healthy without being a jock.

mme sky 5 years 48 weeks

I'm a teacher, and our school recently eliminated phys ed for 8th graders. I think that hiring a "trainer" or fitness consultant of some kind could be a great alternative. I would suggest it be done in small groups to off-set the cost & make it more fun for the kids.A once a week "class" on fitness or nutrition could be really beneficial --- especially for kids who are not involved in any kind of sport. This approach could show them that there are ways to be fit and healthy without being a jock.

smart blonde 5 years 48 weeks

Young musicians take private lessons from qualified teachers, so why can't young athletes? (Actually, some young athletes do; my sister took private figure skating lessons from the time she was six or seven until she was fifteen.) I don't think it's something kids should be pushed into by parents who believe their child has the makings of the next Venus Williams or Tiger Woods or whomever, but I don't see anything wrong with one-on-one instruction for young athletes who want to improve their strength or techniques. A personal trainer doesn't have to be for athletes, either; they could help the not-so-athletic kids enjoy solitary recreational activities like weight lifting, swimming, running, etc.

pinupsweetheart 5 years 48 weeks

I wouldn't want to see kids doing a hard core boot camp style workout. But a personal trainer can show kids the right way to stay fit and have fun at an early age.

JennaV 5 years 48 weeks

why not? A trainer can teach kids about fitness....I don't see how anyone could have a problem with that.

discocactus 5 years 48 weeks

It seems like a bit much to me, but I don't know if this really is a "good vs. bad" idea. The highly competitive with cash to burn (or debt to take on) will probably be into this, but I don't see this being an issue in your average family.

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