Video: NEMCC Hosts ‘ROAR’ Fitness Camp For Kids

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BOONEVILLE, MISS. (WCBI) – Grade schoolers throughout our area have only a couple of weeks left in their summer vacation, and one camp is teaching them all about physical fitness and healthy lifestyles.

WCBI’s Allie Martin dropped in on a session at Northeast Mississippi Community College and has more.

Maria Jenkins is a gymnast, and knows the importance of exercise.

“Some of the stuff, we need to work on our legs so when we run we can get up higher when we do a handstand,” said Jenkins.

She is one of 16 grade schoolers ages eight to 12 who are part of the first ever Reach Out and Renew, or ROAR, Health Camp for kids at NEMCC.

“We just set up some aerobic steps we have here in the club , and some agility ladders and BOZU balls we have in our group fitness classes and running them through a landmine course as we call it, all crocodiles are on the floor, they couldn’t jump on the floor because crocodiles will get them,” said Joseph Pennington, NEMCC’s fitness director.

He says the idea is to make fitness enjoyable for the kids.

“We know it’s easier to adopt those habits earlier then it is to change them later in life,” Pennington said.

Adopting healthy habits is vital because Mississippi has the highest childhood obesity rate in the nation.  NEMCC wants to do its part to reverse that trend.  The college recently received a Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation grant to create healthier campuses.  The grant allowed NEMCC to upgrade its fitness center with state of the art equipment.

Each camper has a favorite exercise.

“Jumping,” said Emma Pennington.

“We’ve been running around the whole thing and we weren’t running, we were skipping, so it was a little harder,” Jenkins said.

“Doing push ups,” said Camper Seth Stacks.

Pennington wants everyone to know that fitness is fun, that’s why NEMCC will host a series of fun physical activities throughout the coming year, all part of an effort to foster a healthier North Mississippi.

That camp wraps up Thursday.   And the Burgess Activity Center will soon make fitness memberships available to the public.