When Brady Iba's mother told him she wanted him to join a gym for kids, he had some serious reservations. But when he walked into the Energym in Southlake Town Square, those worries were quickly replaced with "wows." "I'd been to a couple of other gyms before, but I felt intimidated because there were all these adults who were really fit," said the Fort Worth 13-year-old. "Then I came here and I took a look around and I was like, 'Cool, it's like an arcade.' Plus, I didn't feel intimidated because here, everyone's my age." Energym, the brainchild of Colleyville residents Kevin and Suzanne Bolden, pairs high-tech toys with exercise equipment in a kid-friendly environment where youngsters can get their bodies moving without even realizing it. "It really is a perfect marriage," said Mr. Bolden, a former "software guy." "Basically, these are just games that require you to move to make them work," he said. "It's something kids like to do, and it's good for them." The Boldens had always dreamed of creating a business that would provide better fitness alternatives for children, but it didn't come into focus until they realized that there was emerging technology that could capture both a child's interest and activity. "He's working out, and he doesn't even know it," said Mr. Bolden, gesturing to a boy who was pedaling furiously on a stationary bike linked to a video racing game. "The faster he pedals, the faster the car on the screen goes. He's exercising, but he just thinks he's playing a video game." That interactive concept prevails throughout Energym, which is designed for 6- to 14-year-olds. There are 22 pieces of equipment that incorporate gaming to give youngsters a cardio workout while improving their strength, agility, reflexes, cognitive skills and endurance. "Most of these games are games you would have at home, but our equipment is designed to integrate a fitness program into the video game," explained Mr. Bolden, 35. "These games require you to work out. At home, the most workout they would get is in their thumbs." Darrell Myatt of Keller said the gym is a big hit with his three children � ages 6, 10 and 12. "Kids need something like this with their lifestyle nowadays of just sitting around watching TV and playing video games," Mr. Myatt said. "Plus, it's fun. My kids love it." In addition to the gym equipment, one-on-one training and small group classes such as yoga and a confidence-building class for children with special needs also are available. Although Energym has been open for only a few weeks, interest is high, and the Boldens are working to make sure they remain on the cutting edge. "We're really ahead of the curve here," Mr. Bolden said. "There's nothing else like this out there right now." A whole new workout world: State-of-the-art exercise program draws excitement from children, parents Aleshia Howe, Fort Worth Business Press - June 12, 2006 From racing in high-speed chases to fighting in a virtual world of intergalactic, hand-to-hand combat, children and parents alike are getting a glimpse of how technology can spark up a gym workout session. Colleyville resident Kevin Bolden's new gym in Southlake, Energym, features a mixture of cutting-edge technology and traditional gym equipment in a setting fit for a child. "Children deserve their own gym, but in order to get them excited about it, we brought in games � both virtual and tangible � and it's going great," Bolden said. Energym, located at 1430 E. Southlake Blvd., is a workout facility for children ages 6 to 14 that has added a twist to traditional exercise. The gym has incorporated video games and a virtual world into its exercise universe called Exergaming, which allows video games, controlled by exercise machine movement, to interact with children. Some gym equipment with virtual-reality devices allows children to get a cardiovascular workout while "fighting" in virtual combat, or while racing each other on exercise bikes that are hooked up to flat-screen televisions depicting the bikes as racecars. Energym also offers classes that range from sports and cardio workouts to yoga, dance, kick-hop, martial arts, P.E. classics, and a confidence-building class for special-needs children. Though the gym opened for business May 21, the grand opening will be June 17. During the week of June 12-17, Energym will offer free classes for potential clients. Bolden said that when he began researching the idea of Energym, he found that, according to a report released by NPD Group (a market-research firm) children spend an average of 4.2 hours a week playing video games. "I also learned that children are becoming less fit; today's children respond to audio and visual stimulation through games and, until now, there were not any facilities that capitalized on this fact," he said. "I wanted to design a place for the 99 percent of children who are not athletic superstars, but who, with the appropriate guidance, can create a pattern of healthy activity that will hopefully last a lifetime." Last year, Americans spent $9.9 billion on video-game consoles like PlayStation 2, Xbox and GameCube, and on hand-held systems like Game Boy and Nintendo DS, as well as on various accessories, according to the NPD Group. Jolie Lipson, of Colleyville, said she signed her two sons up for the gym the first day it was open. "We saw an ad in the paper and it looked intriguing," Lipson said. "We still didn't quite know what it was until we went down there and saw the equipment. It was such a great concept that I signed them up right then and there." Bolden, a former executive at Capgemini consulting, said he and his wife knew they wanted to bring gaming and fitness together for children after they went to a consumer electronics show a few years ago. "We started working with product designers on making their machines kid-friendly," Bolden said. "We started purchasing the machines and having children of friends and family try them out." After months of research and testing equipment at his home, Bolden said he contacted Larry North of Larry North Gyms, a high-end North Texas chain of gyms. "I reached out to Larry and said we have a new concept and we'd like to locate near his facility in Southlake, since clients of Larry North Gyms and citizens of Southlake are our target demographics." Lipson, who is a member of another gym, said Energym's close proximity to Larry North Gym has caused her to think about switching workout facilities. "It is such a great concept being right beside Larry North," she said. "I am seriously considering changing gyms just because of its location. That way, I can work out while my sons are, instead of dropping them off at the gym day care while I work out. It's such a better option." Though Bolden got a small-business loan for Energym's start-up costs, which, he said ran into the hundreds of thousands, he and his wife funded much of the business from personal savings. "After 12 years of savings, luckily, we had put back enough to give this a go," he said. The theory behind the gym is that most children can be visually and audibly stimulated. Bolden said that regardless of the child's like or dislike of sports, a video game depicting a sports activity will be entertaining and a great workout for them. The audio and visual integration doesn't end with the games, Bolden said. Even in the various classes offered at Energym, such as tai chi and yoga, there are ways of introducing a higher level of stimulation. "For example, in a martial-arts class, we may show five minutes of martial-arts clips to get the children in the mood, and to bring them into the activity a little more," he said. "There are plenty of children who are fit and they exercise because they like playing a certain sport, but we don't just cater to them. We want every child to be able to get involved in these activities and really enjoy them. If they have a positive attitude with healthy lifestyle early on, they are on the right track in life." Energym operates out of a 2,300-square-foot building at Southlake Town Square, where everything from the bathroom facilities to the seating in the waiting area are child-size. Bolden said Energym has averaged about three new members per day since its May opening, with more than 30 members to date. The facility, he said, has a limit of 300 members. "As we understand how kids use the space, we will probably go with a larger space at the next gym, but we are still learning," he said. Energym boasts 17 employees, ranging from personal trainers and ex-college baseball and football players to those with master's degrees. Bolden said the location is a beta concept, or a test site, and he plans to roll out more Energyms soon. "We want to see how this flows throughout the new school year when all the children go back to school and how we retain members," he said. "But we want to start another two to three by the end of 2007." Bolden said he hopes to see an Energym in Frisco, Plano or McKinney, Highland Park and Fort Worth by the end of 2007. After seeing her sons in action at Energym, Lipson said she hopes to see more of the child-friendly workout facility. "I know why they are already talking about franchising it � my sons are hooked," she said. Monthly membership for Energym is $49, with a one-time registration fee of $40 per family. Lipson said that as long as her sons remain as excited about Energym as they are right now, they will continue to be enrolled into the 2006-2007 school year. "They're wild about it; they never want to leave," Lipson said. "I don't know what Energym's hours will be during school, but if my sons' interest continues, we will be there at their front door, hoping they're open."
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