Gym for toddlers in Dubai

Believe it or not, children as young as two and three - even younger - work out at a gym in Dubai. Enrolled into batches that cater to different age groups, these kids spend an hour every week at The Little Gym, an American franchise chain located at Ibn Battuta Mall, to stay in shape, both physically and emotionally. When XPRESS visited the gym on a Monday afternoon, a group of three-to-four-year-olds were going about a structured regime while their parents watched from across a massive glass partition. From regular warm-ups and group activities with hula hoops, these bundles of energy were doing everything from jumping onto a spring board and forward-rolling on a cheese mat to balancing on a beam and crawling on parallel bars, even dangling from a hanging bar. Article continues below "All these lesson plans have been approved by the American Gymnastics Association and are specially designed for children in keeping with their age," said Neelam Moorjani, who set up the franchise last year. She said she brought The Little Gym to Dubai as she felt children in the UAE needed more avenues for physical activity with problems like childhood obesity being rampant. According to one study, over 30 per cent of schoolchildren in the UAE is overweight or obese. No machines "We do not use any machines or weights at the gym," said Moorjani, adding that the activities were aimed at developing not only their physical and motor skills but also their emotional and social behaviour. Giving an example, she said a group ring activity teaches little children to take instructions and work in a team while hanging from a bar increases their muscle strength at the wrists. Most parents seemed happy with the progress their children are making. Elizabeth Martins, whose four-year-old daughter Elaine attends the classes, said she gets the feel of a gym without being in a regular gym. Sharmila Naidoo, mother of three-year-old Ellicya, said, "I have seen a lot of improvement in my daughter. She is more confident and social. This also gives her something to do instead of just watching TV." Hilda Tabrizi, mother of Julia, 4, was passing by the gym when her daughter went in for a trial class. "She liked it a lot, so we enrolled her," she said, adding that she plans to send her 19-month-old daughter Natalie as well from September. The gym which has a current enrolment of 226 kids has grouped them into three categories: 11 months-3 years, 3-6 years and 6-12 years. The cost of one semester covering 20 classes is Dh2,050.