Hawaii News Now - KGMB and KHNL HomeDiane Ako swaps jobs with a children's fitness center

Diane Ako swaps jobs with a children's fitness center

By Diane Ako - bio | email and Tai Hiranaka

KAILUA (KHNL) - What if your job entailed playing all day with dozens of kids? Sound like fun? That's what I did for my job swap. I went over to the new children's fitness center My Gym in Kailua, where owner Emily Tam let me do her job for the day.

My Gym Hawaii's toddler class starts with pint sized warm-ups for about a dozen tiny customers, before it's my turn to give it a shot. I cue staffer Taryn to cut the music and announce, "OK, Moms and Dads, we have our new skills. This is the car wash and it's going to teach your child to work on sensory integration and imagination. We have all the car wash bubbles and car washers. Feel free to let them drive their cars on through and check it out."

Then I get prepped on my next assignment.

"We have our new exercise set up, gymnastics. I'm here at the aerobat with miss Olivia and this one works on balance. And over there is the low beam."

The classes are broken up into a handful of segments to keep it moving. All the exercises teach a skill.

Emily explained, "They're designed to stimulate kids want to explore the way their bodies move, climb, balance, and test limits."

This job is fun but Emily and I laugh that maybe coffee is the best way to get through six more hours of the day! Reflecting on her job, she said, "There's not a hard part about it. It's such a positive place that even if you're in the worst mood, it's such a joyful place, you're always glad to be here."

A puppet show rounds out the hour. Emily said she loves her job because "I get so much from the kids. They're constantly teaching me how to have a happier life. And I'm reminded that while I'm teaching them to feel good about themselves, I need to feel good about myself as well."

My Gym takes kids as young as six weeks old, up to age 13. Its whole focus is teaching a healthy lifestyle.