What the hell?!

So today while I was at the grocery store, I saw one of the single most disturbing things I may have ever seen in my whole life (No, it wasn't a puddle of urine in front of the toilet in the washroom).

We were walking past the section of the store that is reserved for seasonal and home-related items. I'm usually amused how in January, this section is usually filled with exercise balls, jump ropes, and yoga mats...impulse buys for all the New Year's Resolutioners out there. Today, however, I was shocked and appalled to see this section stocked with exercise equipment....for children.

Yep, you read that right. Child-sized exercise bikes and treadmills. What the hell? Whatever happened to children going outside and playing, getting exercise naturally in the course of their day? I mean, I understand that North America has a child obesity problem (actually, an overall obesity problem, kids and adults alike) but I highly doubt that the solution to this problem is to plunk your kid on a treadmill and make them walk (or run) for exercise.

I'm going to do the expected thing here and point the finger at t.v. It's easy for me to be high-and-mighty about the television thing, since we cut our cable over a year and a half ago now. I'm not saying that t.v. is evil and needs to be completely eliminated, but damn, kids need to learn how to be discerning about what they watch, AND they need to find a reasonable place in their lives for television. Of course, in order for THAT to happen, they need a positive example to be set in the home by their parents. Guess that's not happening a whole lot then, huh?

In order for kids to grow up into healthy adults, exercise needs to be fun. Exercise needs to be about being outside and running around after a ball, climbing the equipment at the playground, skipping with your friends, riding your bicycle...not counting down how many more minutes left on nothing more than a hamster wheel. TREADMILLS ARE NOT FUN, PEOPLE!!!

Hey, I'm sympathetic. I understand that when you're an adult, sometimes you do something that's not fun (like hitting the treadmill or the exercise bike) because it's good for you. I understand that when you spend eight hours behind a desk, you don't necessarily have the opportunity to get out and have FUN while you exercise, particularly in bad weather. Hey, I was there once, too.

For kids, though, getting enough exercise should simply be part of a regular day. I can't help but think that the makers of this tiny equipment envisioned kids being able to still get their exercise AND watch t.v. at the same time...it makes me squirm to think of little kids across the country sweating it out on an exercise bike while watching Spongebob Squarepants. Ugh.

I'm so grateful that both Chris and I have physical activities that we love to do...and that our kids see us doing. The girls see me come home from my runs. They do a little yoga with me from time to time. They see Chris pedal off to school every day. He takes them out in the bike trailer on the weekends. I think that seeing active parents, who receive a lot of joy from their physical activity, is going to go a long way in encouraging our girls to do the same. Hell, Emma's already talking about when SHE runs a marathon someday!

I hope I'm wrong on this, but I have a sick feeling that these pint-sized pieces of exercise equipment are going to be the start of a new trend. Now, in the lunchroom, kids can eat their low-carb lunches and high-protein shakes and compare how many calories they burned last night while watching Spongebob.

Ugh.