MOST of the children who visited the New Kingston offices of Gymkhana recently were seeing the inside of a gym for the first time, while a few had visited gyms before.

However, whether they were first-timers or not, they were all wide-eyed and ready to get their workout done.

The group of about 15 children, who are from the Young Women’s Christian Association Summer Camp, converged on the gym as part of their fitness and fun week of activities, which ran from July 28- 31.

At least one child told the Jamaica Observer after the tour and workout that, in the future, she wants to work in a gym.

“Health and fitness is very important because without a strong body you might feel weak and it helps your body stay in shape,” said 13-year-old Sadique Sterling. “It was great, I enjoyed it a lot and I am thankful because I thought I was fit but now I know I have some work to do.”

Sadique, who attends Holy Trinity High School, told the Sunday Observer that she wants to work in a gym when she gets older so she can help people achieve their goals. She also told this newspaper that the summer camp has kept her busy because otherwise she would not have had much to do during her summer break.

The annual summer camp, which is a major fund-raiser for the Kingston YWCA, usually has between 30 and 50 participants and is run over six weeks. In this year’s batch of students, who are from schools like Vaz Preparatory, Wolmer’s Preparatory, Merl Grove High School, and Jones Town Primary School, the children are between four and 17 years old. The camp also has children who are from the nearby community of Allman Town.

Camp Director Carol Blake told the Sunday Observer that for fitness and fun week, which is one of several themed weeks including adventure week, nature week, culture week, international colours week, and moving and growing week, the children did various exercises and were told about the importance of healthy eating.

“We have done cycling and swimming,” said Baker. “We have also been eating fruits and we have been talking to them about healthy eating habits and so on.”

Their field trip to Gymkhana was one of the planned activities for the week.

Gymkhana General Manager Peter Morris, in giving the children the tour of the facility, told them that it is important to use the gym correctly and in a safe way, before one of the instructors, Keith Spence, guided them through a workout that had a few of them working up

a sweat.

The children stretched and jumped and got their hearts pumping. There were a few groans and moans but Spence kept them attentive and on their toes as they tried to keep up with him.

Imani Gardner, seven, of Excelsior Primary School, told the Sunday Observer that it was her second time inside a gym and that it was a good experience nonetheless, because she knows that fitness is very important.

The Kingston YWCA, which is on Camp Road, was established in 1923 and provides social, recreational and educational services

to the immediate

communities as well as

other communities.

According to information provided by the camp director, the YWCA exists for the promotion of the well-being and empowerment of young women and girls in all aspects of their lives and works to unite them in

a worldwide Christian fellowship, which seeks fullness of life through physical, mental, social, and spiritual development, and through service to others and the nation.