Making family fitness more fun and focused

SHEPHERDSTOWN ¡ªFamily fun and fitness, were the goals at the Clarion Fitness Center on Saturday afternoon.

For two hours, children ages 3 to 10 were encouraged to expend all the energy they could in an array of activities from manuvering through an obstacle course to tossing balls into baskets.

Organizers of the event hope that getting fit will become a family affair.

The Clarion Fitness Center and West Virginia Kids In Action teamed up to host the free exercise extravaganza in the full-court gymnasium. Organizers hope the event will become a staple in the future with another one being eyed for next February.

¡°The goal is to get families moving,¡± said Robin Truax, director for the West Virginia Kids In Action.

Truax, a former health teacher for Martinsburg High School, said the focus Saturday was on children and families because that good fitness habits start young. Showing children that exercise can be fun is important, she said.

Everything from healthy recipes to fitness handouts was shared, she said.

Whether young or old, Truax advised those wanting to get into the exercise routine to ¡°take it one step at a time and find something you like to do.¡±

Paige Richmond favored the hula hoop.

And even though the purple and white plastic sparkled ring was bigger than her, the 2-year-old tried to give it a whirl as she smiled at her mother nearby.

¡°This was an opportunity for Paige to come and have fun with other kids,¡± said Tonia Richmond, Paige¡¯s mother.

It also proved to be a nice mommy-daughter day.

The Martinsburg mother said she thought the fitness event was wonderful because it gives families time to spend together while exercising.

Richmond said she would bypass the three-legged race with her daughter because the height differential would be a tad to much. Instead mother and daughter stuck to the basics such as having fun with balls and playing with the hula hoops.

Getting parents and children involved with exercise is important for a healthy lifestyle, said Lisa Mann, operations manager for the fitness center.

Mann said inspiring Saturday¡¯s younger audience was important. After all, learning the benefits of fitness early in life can help put one on a healthy track.

And she noted that there is no magic bullet to getting in shape.

Mann, who is a certified personal trainer, said ¡°getting people moving¡± was a top goal of Saturday¡¯s event.

¡°Put down the remote and take the kids for a walk,¡± she suggested.

Rick Powers of Charles Town brought his wife, Ann, and two children, Ben, 15; and Alyssa, 4.

Powers said Saturday was a nice family outing with a two-fold purpose.

First, it was something to do as a family and allowed the foursome to participate in various exercise.

¡°I¡¯m just trying to get in shape,¡± Powers said. ¡°The kids are having a great time. There is a lot for them to do.¡±

He said the event was well organized.

¡°I thought it would be just a mad dash,¡± he said of the stations at the events.

Instead, there was no crowding about. Just families having fun.

¡°I think I may have found a soccer league to get my daughter into,¡± he said.

Mark Cucuzzella and his wife, Roberta, watched as their children, Leo, 4 and Lily, 2, played at the various activities.

¡°They like to play so this sounded like a good opportunity,¡± Cucuzzella said.

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