It
was not even six months ago that El Paso was alleged to be the most
obese city in America. According to the “Strategic Plan for
the Prevention of Obesity in Texas plan,” over 35 percent of
children of school age are overweight with 18 percent of them classified
as obese.
Obesity in children has been linked to problems such as diabetes and
asthma. The astounding number of people in America with diabetes grows
each year and up-to date at least 125,000 children are affected yearly.
It has taken pioneers to like Irma Gonzalez, LPC and her family to
try and change that. The family opened Kids Power Gym in July 2006.
“Three years ago I started doing research and saw that there
were only gyms for men and women,” said Gonzalez. Gonzalez who
also has her own private practice where she counsels children, saw
an overwhelming need to help children who suffer from weight issues
and self esteem problems as a result.
“It’s frustrating to see that all the programs we have
are geared for the older population,” said Irma Gonzalez. “If
we work on this as children, it makes it easier for us to do it normally,
but if you do it sporadically, not all the time, it’s harder
to learn.”
Salvador
and his daughter Diana Gonzalez help kids get healthy with the assistance
of certified trainers.
Photo by Leslie Council
Many
parents tell her that it’s hard to find a gym that they can
work out at with their kids. Maria Ramos, a mother of two, a boy and
girl ages six and seven, watched as her children enjoyed exercising
on their first visit. She said she was looking for a place like this
after she found out that the Youth Circuit was closed down. “This
is what we needed in El Paso, something like this for the kids; I
just wish they would accept Medicaid.”
Getting programs to assist the gym is one step Irma and her husband
has been aggressive in taking. “It’s frustrating for myself
and other physicians because we recognize the problems and know what
we can do to solve it, but the big organizations don’t help.”
Irma hopes to one day be able to make this kind of gym available at
all corners of the city and make it accessible for kids of all ages
and economic status. “We’re not in this to compete with
anybody. We’re here to help others, to help kids learn something
they can use for the rest of their lives.” They hope to start
a trend that other gyms will follow.
Irma’s husband, Salvador Gonzalez, an accountant for other 30
years, also decided to help the dream come true. Helping to train
their daughter Diana for all the track awards hanging on the walls,
inspired him to see if they could help other children.
Salvador Gonzalez believed the growth of health issues like diabetes
and asthma are a direct result of too little exercise and that there’s
nothing really for children to do in El Paso. Their ambition is to
also open a gym for adults and a connecting therapeutic gym for those
with injuries. They are also trying to gain a status as non-profit
so they can help other organizations start more gyms.
Kids Power Gym has certified trainers to help train kids and is in
the process of hiring a dietician to assist kids with diet programs.
Irma Gonzalez is an licensed professional counselor to assist in mental
check-ups and help with self-esteem.
This specialized gym offers kids from ages 6 to 16 anywhere from a
45- to 60-minute workout on all types of kid sized equipment. The
program circuit consists of the use of hydraulic machines, stationary
bikes, the gazelle bike, treadmills, hoola-hoops, bench press with
weights for both young and older kids. Use of the yoga balls helps
coordinate stamina in the back and stomach. A small trampoline and
punching bag are also available for hand and leg coordination.
A favorite to the children playing there were interactive video games
like Dance Dance Revolution and I-Toy. Both have a variety of work
outs, different levels of complication and can be adjusted by age
or exercise program. They hope to get a “Smart Cycle,”
a stationary bike that shows a navigation screen for smaller children.
“Fitness shouldn’t be heartache, it should be fun,”
Irma Gonzalez said. “We should look forward to socializing,
having fun and being competitive.”
Diana Gonzalez, daughter of Irma and Salvador, is 13, in the eighth-grade,
and an award winning track runner who participates in four other after
school activities and likes to help at the library, when not helping
at the gym.
She said she takes advantage of the equipment because it helps her
stay conditioned to run track. “You really don’t think
of it as exercise and you don’t do it by yourself because we
play games and it’s fun,” she said. Her medals, photos,
and track T-shirts are displayed around the gym. “I encourage
everybody to come. I see it as a way of life. You can have a lot of
problems if you don’t take care of yourself when you’re
younger and you feel better, sleep better and get stronger.”
“Though 90% of the parents drop off their children, I encourage
parents to come see what they’re doing,” said Salvador
Gonzalez. “We want parents to teach their kids the discipline
of exercise, so that when they get older, they can continue and tend
to live healthier lives.”
The Kids Power Gym is located on El Paso’s east side at 10910
Ben Crenshaw Suite B.
They have three packages available at different costs. The first visit
is free, and they have discounts for siblings. Not yet approved by
Medicaid, they do not want to deny any parents the opportunity to
help their children get healthier. Their goal is to one day put a
Kids Power Gym at every corner of the city.
