With one in four Australian children overweight or obese according to the OECD, a new activity program designed especially for kids is aiming to address the issue.
Aussie Aths, a health and fitness program for kids, has opened in multiple venues in Victoria, just in time for the summer sports season.
Aussie Aths has been developed by experienced athletics coach Nick Bowden and is designed to teach the ABCs – agility, balance, coordination and speed – for every child in a fun, game-based program.
“It’s about helping Aussie kids to be healthier, fitter and faster in a fun environment,” said Bowden, who has been coaching and studying sport for more than twenty years and participating for longer.
“Aussie Aths is athletics, but not as most parents and kids will know it. It’s not standing in a line, and it’s not lining up for a race and its certainly not just for kids who are good at athletics. Think of it like swimming lessons, but for running.
“Athletics is the basis of almost every sport, yet most kids have never really been taught how to run properly. So at its core, Aussie Aths is about learning to run, and most importantly, Aussie Aths is delivered by professional coaches,” Bowden added.
“But it’s much more than just running, as Aussie Aths teaches kids balance, coordination and speed, so it’s perfect for every 5-13-year-old no matter their standard or sport they play.”
Aussie Aths has three age group programs – Active for prep to grade 2’s, Accelerate for kids in grades 3-6, and the Aussie Aths Academy for kids in grades 6-8, which ensures the program activities are suited to the age of each child.
In another plus for time-poor parents, Aussie Aths only goes for an hour and runs after school and on Saturday mornings throughout the school term.
“Aussie Aths is great fun and will help Aussie kids be more athletic in everyday life and in whatever sport they love,” Bowden added.
Term 1 programs commence from Monday 4th February. For more information on session times and locations, click here.