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Virgin Active fights obesity in kids
Virgin Active has introduced Blast! - a range of fitness classes for children - after it found 99 per cent of its adult members thought their children should have more exercise opportunities.
Anita Hynam, group Kidsville manager for Virgin Active, said: 'The Kidsville survey was to find out if adults were happy with what was in place for their youngsters.
'From the response it was evident that there was a need for stimulating classes that would get kids physical without losing the fun element.'
The main concern of members was that while they were exercising, the entertainment provided for their children by most gyms consisted of just sitting them in front of a video game or television. There was a significant call for more classes that would burn calories and body fat.
Blast! gives children aged three to 15 a variety of activities to choose from involving exercise, imaginative play, education and games designed to develop their physical potential.
The programme was initially piloted at West London, Virgin Active's flagship club and has now been rolled out too several other clubs in the chain.
Virgin Active also has mini bikes in the gym for younger children to take part in KidzCycle and Cycle Mania.
Virgin Active initiated the Kidsville survey following a study commissioned by the Department of Health which found 23 per cent of young males and 19 per cent of young females are overweight, while 6 per cent of young males and 8 per cent of young females are obese. The study also found that 29 per cent of girls under 15 and 44 per cent of boys under 15 take no physical exercise lasting longer than 30minutes outside school. Details: www.virginactive.co.uk