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Signifance: Kid's Games

The following is copied as is, from "The Times of India, Mumbai Edition, Thursday, March 23, 2000" Site Address: http://www.timesofindia.com

Hopscotch and jump to get fit
By Peta Bee

There's good news on the horizon for anyone, who wants to get fit, but finds going to the gym a bore. According to top fitness gurus in New York, logging up miles on the treadmill is the choice of yesterday's people. Believe it or not, celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez and Cindy Crawford are queuing up to play tag and leapfrog to stay in shape.

Recess Training is the brainchild of the celebrity fitness trainer Radu, who claims that by transforming the gym into an adult playground, grown-ups can rediscover the physical and mental benefits of spontaneous exercise. "Using the types of movements and games we enjoyed as children makes exercise feel like play," says Radu. Not many kids' pocket money would stretch to his 70 pounds-an-hour group sessions; however, where participants perform a host of energetic activities from somersaulting to skipping and playing catch.

Inspired by the popularity of Radu's classes, other instructors are putting their own spin on the concept. At New York's Crunch Fitness club, Blake Mays's Recess Class involves doing a set of jumping jacks during a game of Simon Says and karate kicking. He blows a duck whistle when it is time to switch from hopscotch to mini-trampolining.

UK gyms are also preparing to transport us back to childhood, Rod Hill, the national fitness manager for the Fitness First chain, says: "We are working on a circuit class that will include plenty of hopping, skipping and beanbag throwing. We hope to introduce it into our clubs in the next couple of months." At LA Fitness clubs, too, Recess Training will appear on the timetable by summer.

The Reebok master trainer, Dean Hodgkin, who has taught recess-style master classes across Europe, says that this type of exercise, offers some unusual fitness benefits. "Jumping about with reckless abandon results in the release of the feel-good hormones - endorphins - which helps you enjoy exercising for longer. And, because you are having fun, your thoughts are distracted from how hard you are working and you put in much more effort than usual. "There are also some very real benefits from the fact that the movements used are often unpredictable and vary widely as the body responds too the exercise environment," Joe adds. "Your body is forced to move across a series of unusual planes and a variety of directions, which means you strengthen and stretch underused muscles."

Even scientists confirm that turning exercise into child's play can work wonders. "In an hour-long class, you will be betting a good cardiovascular workout as well as improving strength," says Veronica Fleck, of the National Institute of Sports Medicine.

Recess Training will undoubtedly help to diminish your fat stores, too - you should burn up to 400 calories in a 60-minute session - if you need to.

When Jenifer Lopez first approached Radu to guide her towards improved fitness, she apparently told him that she didn't want to lose too much weight off her would-famous derriere. Radu admits he was then dumbfounded at the natural athleticism of the woman who appears to have it all. "She can do anything Mother Nature, you know?" Bet she's rubbish at the egg-and spoon, though. (The Sunday Times)