Exercising With Mommy

Never Too Early To Start

(CBS)  It's the latest weapon in the battle of the bulge: Exercise classes for parents and kids, which teach them both about lifelong health and fitness.

At a Gymboree class with her daughter, Misha, The Early Show contributor Laurie Hibberd says their exercise time together is her daughter's favorite hour of their week. As soon as we walk in, Misha can't wait to start climbing.

Her daughter is nearly two years old and she's been in an exercise class since she was six months old.

Some experts say it may never be too early to introduce kids to exercise, with increasing numbers of overweight and obese children.

"It's very, very important for children to start as early as possible," says, Sheilah Papa, Gymboree's director of training and development. "It is very important to their development, both physically, mentally and emotionally."

Even babies just a few months old can be exposed to movement in Mommy and Me yoga classes.

Jane Saline a yoga instructor at the Prenatal Yoga Center says, "The benefit is that it is a great way to bond with your children. Babies are sponges, and so just by being with you, doing something with you they learn to so much just from observing."

Right now there is no proof that early exposure to exercise will guarantee an active lifestyle, but if parents set a good example, chances are the kids will follow.

Meredith Brosnan, the aquatics director at New York City's 14th Street Y notes, "At a young age we like to have the parents there so that when they are at home, they can kind of do these activities and get the kids active, and start them on their way to being fit people for the rest of their lives."

Marni Mallah, a mother of twin girls, says, "If they see me being active with them and enjoying and having fun with it, I definitely think that they'll take that internally and hopefully be more active as children and as adults."

In addition to one hour of structured swimming, sliding and stomping, experts say unstructured playtime is just as important.

Dr. Eric Small, the chair of the American Academy Of Pediatrics Committee On Sports Medicine And Fitness notes, "There's a happy medium between doing baby yoga-doing Mommy and Me having a scheduled activity 6 days a week, vs. having scheduled activities 2 to 3 days a week and the other 3 to 4 days should be play time with other kids, or with mom or dad."

As for Misha, she's happy exploring at Gymboree and with Hibberd's help, hopefully it will turn into a lifelong love of activity.