Keiki Fitness

Every gym has exercise classes right?  We've all heard of yoga, spinning, and pilates.  How about Keiki boxing?  Keiki means "child" in Hawaiian.  The term is so common in Hawaii almost nobody I know uses the words "child" or "children" when referring to those ever-growing little people.

My local gym, Upcountry Fitness, has this class called "Keiki Boxing."  The gym recently expanded and will soon open an entire room dedicated to them with a Keiki Fit Zone.

I think this is a great idea given that these days, and I'm sorry to say it, our kids are growing more sideways than they are vertically.  According to a shared 2001 University of Hawaii and BYU study, 22.2% of Hawaii's youth aged 6-11 and 23.8% aged 12-17 are overweight.   This is TWICE the Mainland average.  Please don't tell me that's all genetic there - it's also a matter of more calories going in than are burned. 

I've always wondered if the best way to combat this nation's obesity epidemic would be to take away all food stores, restaurants, and supermarkets and thereby force everyone to grow, collect, and catch their own food.

Such a concept is more feasible in Hawaii due nice temperate conditions year round.  There's fish in the sea, wild deer, chickens, and boar running around all over the place, and a plethora of various fruit trees covering the islands.  Hungry?  Catch your own dinner.  Can't grow Twinkies in the ground can ya!

In all seriousness though, nutrition of course plays an integral role in the solution, and I applaud organizations like Upcountry Fitness which specifically address grass roots concerns such as keiki health.