Archive for the FBS Blog Category

Is your child not crazy about sports? Maybe they would rather play video games than soccer or maybe they prefer to paint than join a pickup basketball team. It’s actually a lot more common than you may think for kids to not enjoy the most well-known sports. But as a parent, if your child seems to gravitate towards activities outside of team sports, you might be wondering how to get your kids the exercise they need. Fun and fitness for kids can be so much more than organized sports! At Fitness By The Sea, we lean into individual interests and create fun exercises for kids of all types. 

The Power Of Choice

Every child has a unique personality that should be attuned to. And when it comes to sports, some kids aren’t ready to take a swing at a ball or run for a touchdown at the early age of five or six. It’s important to pay close attention to the developmental stage of your child. While other kids may be ready to dive deep into close-contact sports, your child may get easily frustrated or anxious in those outlets. And that’s more than okay! Listen to your kid’s emotions. If your child is feeling overwhelmed, they should be placed in a more supportive and attentive environment. 

Fitness By The Sea offers activities that each child can personally choose, upholding our stance on the Power of Choice. Your child can pick fitness outside of team sports that still stimulates their mind and body, but allows them to comfortably develop their strengths without the outside unnecessary pressure. 

Discover Our Activities

In fact, Fitness By The Sea will challenge your child to see that they actually do love activity, it just might so happen to fall under a category they didn’t know about or that should be encouraged more often. These categories and activities could include:

• Water Activities: Surfing, Boogie Boarding, Swimming
• Individual Activities: Gymnastics, Martial Arts, Yoga
• Creative Activities: Nature Walks, Dance, Magic Shows
• In-The-Shade Activities: Drawing, Card Games, Face Painting

All these activities and more will give your child the exercise they need for a healthy life. We want to foster success in what your kid is ready for. They should see that the interests they enjoy are in fact, active. 

We’re Here For Every Kid

The more your child is exposed to activity, the more they will see the benefits such as improved sleep patterns, strong bones, and muscles, along with high self-esteem. Regardless of the specific exercise, they are involved with, kids should be getting 60 minutes of activity most every day. And what better way to push fitness than with beach games for kids with the help of our wonderful team! Campers will be immersed in fun summer activities for kids where they’ll find acceptance that builds foundations. Enroll now! 

Beach days with your kids are loads of fun! What could be better than playing in the warm sand with the beautiful water in view? While trips to the beach are full of exciting activities, it’s important to be aware of potential dangers and to use summer beach safety. 

For the last 25 years, Fitness by The Sea has been reputably known as being the safest summer beach camp Los Angeles has. For every camp session we lead, your child’s well-being is our top priority. And we think everyone should have a safe and exciting experience while at the beach, which is why we put together five summer beach safety tips for your family to have in their pocket!

Swimming Lessons Are Essential 

Ocean safety is important. With water so easily accessible at the beach, it’s helpful for everyone to be a strong swimmer, which is why the CDC recommends every child to have taken swimming lessons. Once they have successfully completed swimming lessons, you can feel comfortable about your child doing a variety of water activities. 

Pair Your Kid With A Buddy

At the beach, as with anywhere, you never know when you may need help. Pairing your kid with a friend is not only more fun but also safer. A buddy can serve as a lookout or go get help, in the case of an emergency. 

Establish Boundaries

Although everyone is looking forward to a beach day to unwind, taking precautions is necessary. Take the time to set rules and expectations with your child before hitting the sand. Get them mentally prepared by brushing them up on swimming lessons, giving out life jackets, and reminding them about ocean currents. The more open communication there is, the better your beach experience will be!

Be Aware Of Conditions

While you’re at the beach, the weather can change quickly. One moment it can look sunny, the next a storm is brewing. Make sure you encourage your child to pay attention to lifeguards and or signs, which supply information and guidance. You can even teach your child different beach color flags, to help them be prepared before entering the water. 

Wear Sunscreen!

Protecting your child’s skin, as well as your own, is important. While at the beach, make sure to not only wear clothes that fully cover the skin, but choose a broad-spectrum sunscreen that you can reapply throughout the day. No one wants a painful sunburn! 

Fitness by The Sea’s summer camp beach is here to help you develop your camper into a stronger swimmer and adventurer. Each session will incorporate the above-mentioned ocean and beach safety tips and more! Whether your kid wants to take a dive into water activities, get creative, or work on team building, Fitness by The Sea has all the activities needed for a memorable time. We’re so excited to make a splash with your kid soon. Enroll for a session today!

When the summer weather arrives, what better way to celebrate than with some water sports! Getting outside and into the water is a great way to get exercise and stay cool during the warmer months. At Fitness by the Sea, we’re lucky to have the benefit of enjoying so many water activities. Located right on the beach, our campers get to experience the best of these five water sports.

Swimming

One of the most classic summer activities is still one of our favorites! All you need is a body of water, and luckily for us at Fitness by the Sea, both of our locations are on the ocean. If you aren’t close to the beach, swim in a pool (even an inflatable one works) or lake. In addition to being great overall exercise, strong swimming skills are important for kids.

A great part of swimming is you can combine it with any number of activities. There are so many swimming styles to master, races with friends to compete in, and games to play. If your child hasn’t taken swimming lessons, what better time than the summer to start!

Surfing

This requires a few more prerequisites than swimming, but once you have the conditions you need, there are fewer more exciting water sports than surfing. Surfing lessons may be harder to find than swimming lessons, but once you have a surfboard and some waves, you can finally experience why so many people fall in love with the sport! Surfing is a full-body workout and is a unique way to stay in shape during the summer.

At Fitness by the Sea, we even have professional surfing instructors for kids. Surfing is a fun alternative to swimming and is a great way to stay cool this summer. If you have the resources available, try it out and you may find your new favorite sport.

Skimboarding

What if the waves aren’t big enough at your local beach? Luckily skimboarding provides a similar sensation as surfing, without needing any big waves. Skimboards are much smaller than surfboards, making them more convenient to bring to and from the beach. The best part is, there are no lessons needed!

Skimboarding can take a bit of getting used to, but once you learn the basics it’s a great source of cardio and balance training! Skimboarding is just another one of the unique water sports kids participate in at Fitness by the Sea!

Boogie Boarding

Boogie boarding provides the convenience of skimboarding, but is much more beginner-friendly. Once you find a boogie board and some small waves, the fun can begin! It’s a fun way to play in the waves and has a much smaller learning curve than surfing. This is also a great way of working your way up to surfing or skimboarding. This is one of our campers’ favorite water activities in the summer.

Paddling

Speaking of exercise, how about paddling? A lot of water activities for kids involve strengthening their legs. Paddling, however, builds upper body strength and is a nice rest for their legs after swimming all day. It’s also a great option if surfing or skimboarding seems a bit too stressful or intensive. Paddling can be a great way to relax while also getting some exercise on a nice, sunny day.

At Fitness by the Sea, water sports are one of our favorite summer activities and our campers love making new friends while surfing, swimming, or just enjoying the ocean. Interested in having your kid participate in our camps? Choose your location and register or learn more!

Keeping kids active can seem challenging, especially during times they aren’t in school like the summer. At Fitness by the Sea, we use a variety of activities to make sure that campers are staying healthy while also having fun. See which of these fun fitness activities your kids gravitate to and keep them active all year long!

Play a Sport

This may seem like an easy choice, but sports are a great way to get kids outside and staying active. There are so many sports to choose from that it doesn’t matter how many participants you have. If you have a large group, a sport like soccer or basketball is a great way to get everyone involved. Large group sports are a great opportunity to get better at a game or even learn a new one.

Have fewer people? Not a problem! There are plenty of athletic activities for one, two, or three people. Creating your own Olympic style competition can keep your kids exercising, while also allowing them to switch things up every once in a while.

Go to the Park, Playground, or Beach

Any open space will do, but these three spots are prime for fitness activities. There’s so much potential at these locations so not only is there something for everyone, there’s almost no limit to the fitness activities available to you. Playgrounds have the benefit of having built-in equipment for kids to climb, run, and jump on. Parks have enough wide-open space that you can bring a frisbee, a lawn game, or any other items to encourage exercise.

Fitness by the Sea’s Santa Monica and Pacific Palisades locations are in perfect spots, right on the beach. The beach is great for playing volleyball, jogging along the water, and of course swimming. On a nice summer day, there’s nothing better than spending it at the beach. 

Go for a Walk or a Run

Going for a walk, jog, or run can be a great fitness activity for both you and your kid. It can make for a new bonding experience and is great exercise. Even just getting them out of the house and walking around the neighborhood is a fun way for them to get their steps for the day. You can even have races in your backyard or down the street.

If you live by any trails or ponds, these can be great scenic walks on a nice day. Even if you or your kid don’t normally enjoy exercise, this is a great way to enjoy the views while staying fit.

Try a Summer Camp

Many summer camps already incorporate many of these activities into their daily routine. Campers at Fitness by the Sea, for example, have opportunities for varied activities from surfing to dance and more. Kids at a summer camp have the benefit of having a lot of new friends to participate in fun fitness activities with. It’s also great for parents who don’t have a lot of time to oversee these activities.

At Fitness by the Sea, staying active is easy with our diverse selection of summer fitness activities. Interested in having your kid participate in our camps? Choose your location and register or learn more!