Pamplin Media Group – Mad about youth: Madtown Fitness lifts up kids with free classes

When a single thinks of children having summer months exciting, the initially illustrations or photos that might pop up entail sunshine and open air.

On the other hand, 1 regional business is providing the enjoyable to Jefferson County youth although retaining them inside — at the very least for an hour, anyway.

For the previous six months, Joe Robbins, the operator of Madtown Physical fitness, has been holding totally free classes for a group of local youths at his downtown Madras gymnasium. The intention is not just to give youngsters anything to do in the summer months months he also wants to help construct health and fitness literacy.

Robbins notes that lots of young folks you should not know their way about the health club. Regardless of whether a absence of publicity, money, time, or a mixture thereof, there are numerous motives why someone might not contact a piece of exercising tools till adulthood. Some pupils may well choose toughness and conditioning classes in substantial faculty, but not everyone. Both way, just about all people could gain from a bit a lot more time in the gym.

“We just observed a have to have,” said Robbins. “I basically run a senior physical fitness team in here appropriate right before this just one, so it is not really hard to assume about bringing in the little ones to do the exact thing. We thought, ‘How excellent would this be?'”

“You can find just not more than enough physical fitness all around this town,” he additional, though not as a dig at Madras or Jefferson County in unique. “There can in no way be plenty of.”

Joe is not the only Robbins on the case, possibly. Jennifer Robbins is one particular of the instructors at Madtown Exercise, and she can help with the totally free classes. The partner-and-wife crew make for a perfectly-oiled machine, retaining courses on a regimented plan that commences with some calisthenics warm-ups before shifting on to 20 different stations close to the gymnasium. Although Jennifer does arms-on work leading the heat-up and guiding the little ones in their actual physical workouts, Joe paces about the flooring and operates on maintaining their minds active, too.

Versus the clanking and clattering of work out machines, Joe speedily transforms from trainer to trivia host. Meandering about involving the devices, Joe reels off issues on random topics and students shout again their responses. For the last course in advance of the Fourth of July, Robbins went for a patriotic topic. He quizzed the young ones on the United States government and well-known figures in American record.

All of a sudden, the health club was fifty percent P.E. class, half civics course. And yet, these little ones — who are only a few months into summertime trip — answered eagerly and celebrated their successes, the two tutorial and athletic.

Going ahead, Joe and Jennifer Robbins want to go on providing these free youth courses. It is crucial, they experience, that the Jefferson County group puts a target on physical health from an early age. By eradicating registration prices from the equation, Joe hopes to take away any probable boundaries for mother and father contemplating two times about signing up their kids for the lessons.

So much, the plan has been effective. Robbins filled all 16 open slots for the initially 6-week summer course, which just wrapped up on June 29. Now, a next group of 16 gets completely ready for their possess classes of the subsequent 6 Tuesdays and Thursdays. Based on interest from the community, there could be a third class to bridge the final hole amongst summer season and fall.

“The plan was to get as several young children in listed here above the summer as doable,” mentioned the gym proprietor, who notes that a pleasant byproduct of the classes is a bit of no cost marketing. “We are constructing potential health club users below. These young children that are about to hit higher university, they’re heading to imagine of us first. But of course, we also want to give back to the neighborhood as significantly as we can.”

Absolutely free workouts for the young ones, free of charge promotion for the health and fitness center. For Robbins, it was a apparent earn-earn for all included.

“It is really a no-brainer,” he reported.

Robbins additional that they are nevertheless waiting for far more curiosity in advance of locking into holding a 3rd session afterwards in the summer months. If adequate men and women show desire, nevertheless, Robbins indicated that the totally free lessons will get put as prepared.

For more facts, or to register for the summer months youth application, contact Joe Robbins via e-mail at This e mail handle is remaining secured from spambots. You want JavaScript enabled to perspective it. or connect with Madtown Health at (541) 475-6474.