A Great Balance, Agility and Strength Exercise for a 6-Year Old

The old saying that, “Everything old is new again,” is really appropriate when it comes to exercises.  There are so many old school exercises that have been forgotten and forsaken and replaced with new, “exciting” but not necessarily better versions.  People looking for a way to get their children to exercise and off the Playstation and XBox need to look no further.

I’m very lucky in that I have active kids, kids who love to run, jump, hop, skip, fall and roll.  At ages 10 and twin sixes, my boys love sports and look forward to exercising.  They are interested in what I have my clients doing at the gym and on their frequent trips to visit me at work or at practice, my kids love to imitate what they see the grown-ups doing and are always looking to show me what they learned in gym class. Not one to leave well enough alone, I’m always looking for different ways to engage and challenge my boys.

Enter the Pogo Stick.  I think you’d be hard pressed to come up with a piece of exercise equipment/kids toy more old school. Almost 100 years old, the Pogo Stick is a great way for kids of all ages to get exercise.  You don’t have to be an exercise expert to watch a kid work a Pogo Stick and see all the different ways in which the body has to work in order to perform the task.

In case you can’t figure it out, the Pogo Stick is a great way for kids to develop balance, agility and strength.  They can be used almost anywhere – unlike skateboards and Razor scooters – and there are endless variations that kids can perform; on one leg, with one hand, no hands, change directions, change elevation, etc.  And the best thing is that they aren’t very expensive.

The Pogo Stick is a great old school piece of equipment – it’s not really a toy, is it? – that can get kids to enjoy exercise and develop skills that will help them to be healthier and more capable.

If you’re in the market for a fun and challenging way to get your child healthier, take a look at some of the examples below.  My son has the first one.

Maverick Foam Covered Pogo Stick from Flybar (40 – 80 lbs) Fun and exercise for boys and girls, ages 5 to 9. Precision made foam Pogo Stick will safely support 40 to 80 lbs. Replaceable, non-slip foot pads, handle grips and rubber tip. This item also comes in blue/silver.  $35.40.

Master Foam Covered Blue Pogo Stick from Flybar (80 – 160 lbs) Fully assembled Fun and exercise for boys and girls, ages 9 and up. Precision made foam covered metal Pogo Stick will safelysupport 80 to 160 lbs. Replaceable, non-slip foot pads, handle grips and rubber tip. This item also comes in yellow.  $40.89

Super Pogo Stick from Flybar (120 – 210 lbs) Healthy, exciting fun for boys and girls ages 14 and up. Precision made metal Pogo Stick will safely support 120 to 210 lbs. Replaceable handle grips, foot strips and rubber tip. Pogo fully assembled, hand grips, decal and foot strips to be applied. Fully one-year warranty.  $98.11

Wooden Pogo Stick from Flybar (80 – 160 lbs) Fun and exercise for boys and girls, ages 8 and up. Precision made wood Pogo Stick will safely support 80 to 160 lbs. Replaceable, non-slip rubber tip.  $50.95

Master Foam Covered Yellow Pogo Stick from Flybar (80 – 160 lbs) Fun and exercise for boys and girls, ages 9 and up. Precision made foam Pogo Stick will safely support 80 to 160 lbs. Replaceable, non-slip foot pads, handle grips and rubber tip.T his item also comes in blue.  $42.41