With school athletic programs becoming increasingly competitive and more athletes seeking specialized training than ever before, Life Time, the nation’s premier omnichannel healthy lifestyle brand, today launched athletic training programs across its resorts as part of its new GameFace Training offering.
At most of its more than 150 destinations, Life Time is launching GameFace Sport, an athletic training fundamentals class for kids aged 8-13. These hour-long sessions build strength and conditioning skills while maintaining a fun and supportive atmosphere. Kids work with performance coaches to build on the basics of movement while learning to control their bodies. The classes focus on speed, agility and coordination and are targeted both for kids looking to improve their sports performance and those looking to stay active. The unique curriculum for GameFace Sport is built for safety and provides performance and mental progression to help young athletes improve.
There are countless benefits of athletics for kids. Unfortunately, participation in athletics is declining, in part due to increased barriers of entry and growing competition, with a majority of kids quitting sports by age 11. For many kids today, the traditional notion of play has also been replaced by more sedentary, screen-centered activities, with negative health consequences. For example, children who watch three hours or more of TV daily are 65 percent more likely to become obese than those who watch less than an hour, according to an Active Living Research report.
“Exercise has been tied to improved cardiovascular health, stronger bones, improved mental health and so much more for kids,” says Chris Fazi, Senior Director of GameFace. “GameFace Sport is specifically designed to meet kids where they are and help them gain confidence while discovering new activities and ways to exercise.”
GameFace Sport is included with a junior membership at Life Time, giving kids another avenue to pursue a healthy way of life at its clubs. Last month, Life Time also started offering group exercise classes solely for kids with its Kids Studio offerings as it continues to expand programming for its youngest members and their families.
In select markets, Life Time is also expanding GameFace Varsity, D1 and Elite programming. These programs are designed by renowned athletic trainer DeVentri Jordan for middle and high school, collegiate and elite athletes looking to get to the next level of their sport. This programming is currently offered at Life Time Sport Winter Park and Life Time New Hope in Minnesota, with plans to expand to Life Time Boca Raton in Florida in October 2021 and in the Houston and Denver markets by the end of 2022.
“Elite athletes must train smarter than ever to be competitive, the GameFace Varsity, D1 and Elite program is designed to help athletes get to the next level, both physically and mentally,” says Jordan. “Developed through years of research, testing and experience, we’re excited to expand and offer the best in athletic training to Life Time members nationwide.”
Life Time’s athletic resorts serve hundreds of thousands of children nationwide every month. As part of its omnichannel wellness approach, Life Time also offers family workouts on-demand and healthy living content for families as part of its Life Time Digital membership.
