Playtime at the gym

Some parents believe their tots will learn to tumble and roll and improve on their motor skills at the gym.
CHARMAINE KHOO reports 

Four-year-old Raphael Tan looks forward to his weekly gymnastic class.

In the past six months, he has been attending Funny  Bugs, a class for three to four-year-olds at The Little Gym.

His mum, Madam Sandra Handojo, 36, a teacher said, "Raphael is very active. Gym classes provide him with an
avenue to expand his energy in a structured environment."

The Little Gym, with two branches, is among the half dozen or so kids' gym centres that have sprung up here to cater to young children including infants as young as four months.

Unlike competitive gymnastic classes, these classes do not involve intensive physical training. They focus more on the physical, psychological and emotional development of the child.

So what do little children gain from early gymnastics?

Head and senior consultant sports physician at Changi Sports Medicine Centre, Dr Ben Tan, said: "Early exposure allows the child to acquire motor skills more naturally as their neuromuscular system is most malleable below the age of seven.

"Movement patterns that are ingrained in a child are useful later on even if they participate in other sports," said Dr Tan, who is also the medical director at the Singapore Sports Medicine Centre.

The activities are specially tailored to suit small children. For instance, basic tumbling and rolling teach the tots limb coordination and enhance body awareness.

This can be helpful at movement milestones such as crawling, sitting upright and walking.

Madam Handojo said: "The classes have helped Raphael in the movement of his muscles and also helped him to understand the process of taking turns, by following a sequence of actions and doing it in a safe manner."

Group activities are frequent in gym classes for toddlers and preschoolers, providing them with a good platform for interaction with their peers. They are designed to be fun, incorporating songs and games to encourage the child to socialise.

Ms Pearl Wu, 30, the gym director of The Little Gym of Singapore West, said: "We use small equipment which encourages group co-operation.

"They leam to work together to lift move things in a circle, for example."

Sports medicine experts emphasise that to reap the benefits such recreational gymnastics can offer to infants and young children, the programmes must be age appropriate.

"Children have growth plates - parts of the bone that allow growth. These plates are fragile and can be damaged by high impact and repetitive forces, said Dr Tan.

Dr Kelvin Chew, a consultant sports physician at the Singapore Sports Medicine Centre, agreed.

"It is important to know what children can handle. They should build skills that are not beyond the capability of their age. If the child is unable to cope, it can be frustrating, thus discouraging future participation."

Also, classes for infants and toddlers require parental involvement, with at least one parent present to provide support and supervision.

Mr Imran Mohamad, 34, centre manager of JWT Kids Gym, added: "It allows a parent to bond with her child. When a child manages to achieve a task, no applause is as loud as his parent's."

To minimise the risk of accidents and injuries, the appratus used are often padded.

Trainers need to be able to relate to children well and also need to develop a "good sporting technique". This means understanding the  body movements needed to perform an activity and guiding a child to safely complete the skill.

Dr Tan said that, ultimately physical activity involving young children must be enjoyable.

"Young children do not respond well to regimented and structured training," he said.

"We have to be careful not to impose a competitive mindset before they are ready. For them, they should be literally playing".