WORDS BY ERICA NEWTON, MYFIRSTGYM CO-FOUNDER
You’ve signed your child up for a sport, drive them to training and cheer them on at games. Fitness? TICK. But here’s the thing… one sport might not be enough to build the all round strength, agility and endurance they needed to stay at the top of their game (or, you know, just keep up with life’s endless playground races). Muscle strengthening exercises are also a vital part of children’s overall physical health. Fortunately, that doesn’t mean training with kettlebells bigger than them!
According to the Australian Government’s physical activity guidelines, children aged 5–17 should be getting their muscle and bone-strengthening workouts in at least three times a week. And no, lifting the grocery bags out of the car isn’t quite ‘enough’ (though we fully support these particular weight-bearing exercises).
One Sport Isn’t Always Enough.
Many kids participate in a single sport, which is fantastic, but quite often it’s not enough when it comes to developing well-rounded strength and agility. Sports like swimming, soccer or gymnastics each build specific muscle groups, but they don’t always offer full-body strength training. For example, a soccer player might have powerful legs but lack upper-body strength. A swimmer might have endurance but need more agility and explosive power on land. Unfortunately, most sports don’t tick every muscle group.
Why Strength Training Isn’t Just for Adults (or Superheroes).
We get it: strength training for kids might sound intense, but we’re not talking about mini bodybuilders here. Done correctly, strength training helps kids build stronger bones, improve coordination and avoid injury (like that sprained ankle at basketball, or from jumping off the couch pretending to be Spider-Man). It also boosts core stability, balance and endurance, making them fitter, faster and possibly better at outrunning their siblings.
Studies show that active kids also perform better in school so really, signing them up for MyFirstGym is an investment in their future. Plus, exercise is known to improve mood, so you might even get fewer grumpy tantrums. Worth it? TICK!
The MyFirstGym Magic: Strength Training That’s Actually Fun.
We believe in making workouts exciting because let’s be honest, kids can have the attention span of a goldfish. That’s why we mix things up with a range of different classes, each designed to keep them engaged while secretly making them stronger, faster, and more coordinated.
We offer a large range of classes, though the following are best for targeting strength:
- MFGFit: Fun functional circuit-based training which build strength, endurance and agility (they won’t even notice they’re working out).
- Gymnastics: because flipping, tumbling and swinging around is way cooler than just running in circles.
- Parkour: Teaching kids to move like ninjas, but in a structured environment. No more obstacle courses in the living room.
- Yoga: Whether your kid is into football, swimming, dance, or just excelling at the school sports carnival, we help them develop the strength and mobility to dominate.
We take the energy kids usually reserve for bouncing off the walls at bedtime and channel it into fun, engaging and totally parent-approved workouts. Whether your child is a budding athlete or just needs to burn off some of that endless energy (so you can finally have a peaceful cup of coffee), we’ve got them covered.
Raising Strong, Happy and Tired Kids (You’re Welcome).
Our classes help fill fitness gaps by providing balanced, full-body strength training that complements any sport. By incorporating functional training, kids can build endurance, coordination, and strength in areas that their primary sport might not target. Plus, for those who don’t play a specific sport, our classes provide an engaging way to stay active and develop essential movement skills.
Encouraging kids to start muscle-strengthening exercises early builds the foundation for a lifetime of health, confidence, and fewer injuries. Plus, let’s be real: if they get all their energy out at MyFirstGym, they’ll probably sleep better, which means you get to sleep better. Everybody wins!