US kids stuck at home embrace online exercise classes

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HOUSTON, April 1, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Every afternoon since they started
staying in their Texas home due to the coronavirus outbreak, the Canonico
sisters — ages two, four and 10 — spend some time banging on the floor with
kitchen utensils.

It’s not just idle play: they are taking online classes from a local kids’
gym in Houston to burn up some of their pent-up energy — and to learn
crucial motor and social skills at the same time.

Kinley, Caylee and Riley had already attended baby fitness programs over
the years at their local branch of The Little Gym, a chain focused on
movement-based learning.

When authorities in Houston — like many other jurisdictions around the
United States — issued a stay-at-home order last week, their mother Lauren
Soliz said she was all-in for them to pick up some classes online.

“We definitely want their mental health to equal their physical health,”
Soliz told AFP in an interview.

“Yes, they can watch their iPads for a certain amount of time every day.
But we’re also getting in our physical health too.”

– ‘Feeling the stress’ –

Soliz, 37, works as a tax consultant. With three girls to take care of at
home and random meetings by phone throughout the day, she says it’s virtually
impossible to maintain a schedule.

Nevertheless, she has figured out how to set up regular exercise breaks —
bike rides around their neighborhood after breakfast, YouTube yoga classes.

And now, several times a week, Soliz’s daughters — dressed in tank tops
and shorts or their pastel-colored pajamas — follow along with a video class
from The Little Gym.

“The girls love it, and they think it’s playing,” she said.

Riley, the 10-year-old, is just as enthusiastic about the classes as her
little sisters, hopping in place or turning in circles.

“I think it’s fun and it’s time-consuming so it helps because we’re just
stuck inside,” she said.

Soliz said the classes are a good way to blow off some steam.

“We’re all feeling the stress and the anxiety and the unknown and
uncertainty of, you know, how long is this going to be?” she said.

The US government’s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has
published guidelines for parents about how to help children throughout the
crisis.

“Encourage your child to play outdoors — it’s great for physical and
mental health. Take a walk with your child or go on a bike ride,” the CDC
says.

But if outdoor play is impossible, it recommends “indoor activity breaks”
for stretching and dancing.

The CDC suggests that children from the ages of six to 17 get at least 60
minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity a day — not easy when
three out of four Americans have been ordered to stay home.

Alex Tellez, who runs one of the Houston-area Little Gyms, says parents
pleaded with him for online content to use with their kids as the health
crisis ramped up.

“Whether or not you have a specific outlet for children’s energy, it will
escape. They are going to run, they are going to play and that’s because they
need stimulation,” he told AFP.

Tellez was forced to shut down his gym to comply with the strict stay-at-
home order, and isn’t sure when it will reopen.

His team pre-recorded a number of classes at their facility, and has been
putting them up several times a week on Facebook and YouTube.

Teachers in athletic gear on red mats guide the children through exercises
as they would in the actual gym.

“It makes it a little bit easier for a lot of families to just put it on
their TV, rather than having to put it on their phone or on their computer,”
said Tellez.

Usually, a class at The Little Gym costs about $25 — a significant amount
for some families. But Tellez has posted the classes for free.

“It was a bit of a transition for us because so much of the material is
proprietary,” he explained.

“But in these times, we feel that it’s important not only for the business
to be able to stay in touch with our customers on a regular basis, but for
them to continue experiencing the value of our program.”

Of course, the hope is that once the stay-at-home period is over, families
like Soliz’s will head back to the gym.