CNBNews

With this research in mind, Mitchell Kantrowitz of The Little Gym of 

Washington Township suggests that the New Year is a great time for parents 

and caregivers to make physical activity a regular part of their children’s 

lives. But Kantrowitz cautions that a New Year’s resolution alone is not 

enough to make a significant change in behavior – for either the children 

or their caregivers. “A resolution may jump start a change, but until the 

new behavior becomes an ingrained part of everyone’s daily routine – a 

habit – it may fall victim to other priorities and soon be ignored, or 

even forgotten,” says Kantrowitz. “The key is to use that resolution to 

commit to building and supporting healthy habits in your children. With 

the proper encouragement and reinforcement, children will eventually seek 

out active play and independently make healthy food choices. The behavior 

comes naturally to them.”

The Little Gym of Washington Township can assist families in turning 

resolutions into reality. Their child development experts recognize that 

making physical activity fun is the best way to encourage children to 

maintain an active lifestyle. “Working with the natural instincts of 

children starts a repeating cycle of success,” says Kantrowitz. “With 

improved health and confidence comes a willingness – even eagerness – to 

pursue physical challenges.

“Perhaps even more importantly,” Kantrowitz adds, “the benefits that 

accrue to children from regularly taking part in physical activity can 

have extensive effects.” A number of studies reported in Psychology Today 

show evidence that physically active children are more likely to carry 

their healthy habit into adulthood.** “The facts are clear,” Kantrowitz 

says. “One of the most important things you can do for children is 

encourage them to be physically active each and every day, whether you 

arrange couch cushions into ‘mountains’ they can scale, or enroll them in 

a program like the ones offered by The Little Gym. As long as the activity 

is fun, children will welcome it, and benefit from it, long beyond 

childhood.”

The fun programs at The Little Gym of Washington Township help children 

ages 4 months to 12 years combine physical development with activities 

that promote sharing, listening, and friendship to develop confident, 

proud kids ready for new challenges. For more information, please contact 

Mitchell Kantrowitz, owner of The Little Gym of Washington Township, 

located at 5501 rt 42 south, at 856-228-2818 or 

[email protected], visit them at 

www.thelittlegym.com/WashingtonTownshipNJ, or go to www.TheLittleGym.com.