WESTON, Fla. – A Weston mother developed a program that introduces children to exercise at a young age, helping make it part of their daily routine.
Terri Braun founded Kidokinetics in 1995. She believes children should be physically active beginning from birth.
"I'm a firm believer that we start children too late," she said. "In fact, I don't even think they're children. I think we develop true athletes at a young age and I think we forget about the everyday, average child."
The program focuses on children developing coordination, concentration, and fine and gross motor skills while teaching basic sports.
"The nice thing about this is that it is a physical activity, parent-child class," said Braun. "That's what puts us apart from a traditional mommy and me. They are up and running with their parents."
"I think it's so important for the little kids to have a fitness program so they learn it's just a part of their everyday life," said parent Meredith Nortman. "They should always be working out , always exercising."
Braun said children who are physically active from a young age do better academically and socially. Children in the Kidokinetics program are taught stretching, throwing, and footwork.
"Children are not being able to move and what's happening is they are not moving their body parts, which is not allowing the neurons in the back of their head to move and that is not allowing their brain to develop," she said.
"They need to learn how to run and walk and hit the ball They need all of these skills," said Nortman.
"My son is very active, so I think the Kidokinetics help him to get out a lot of his energy and introduces him to a lot of different sports," said parent Chrisshon Porter.
Children in Kidokinetics focus on a different sport every week. Braun's number one goal is that children have fitness skills developed by kindergarten age so they don't feel self conscious.
"We want to start them at that young age just to give them that love of fitness," said Braun.