My 4-year-old loves to exercise. She’s constantly trying to do what my husband and I do, whether it be boxing with our heavy bag at home or lifting (3 lb) weights at our boot camp class. So, when we had the chance to try out the new kids class at our local UFC Gym – UFC Gym Perimeter – Lucy was VERY excited!

I had never heard of a UFC gym before, but I was really impressed. It is a hard core gym! UFC Gym Perimeter features boxing, kickboxing, and MMA classes; private and advanced training; and kids classes; offering something for every member of the family

Lucy was pretty much in awe when we arrived. The majority of the room was filled with heavy bags, and she excitedly started punching and kicking them as soon as we walked in. I think we might have a future boxer on our hands!

Next to the heavy bags were some weights to work out your arms and legs. Lucy obviously was too small for them, but she gave them her best shot anyway! She really liked the one you pull down either in front of your or behind you to work your triceps!

She also loved using the kettlebells and dumbbells!

What really caught her eye, though, was the full size 24’x24′ Octagon on the far side of the room. She thought it was a trampoline at first (which is something many people assume, the gym owner told me), and she was DYING to go into it! Lucky for her, a good portion of the kids class was done in there! In addition, the Octagon is used for adult Jujitsu and advanced boxing classes.

The kids also LOVED practicing punching with an electronic punching bag that showed them where to punch and talked to them. It records how many punches you get. The record was a little over 100 and Lucy got 91 punches in the 1-minute period. Pretty good for a 4-year-old!

After we got to check out the gym, it was time for the kids class to start! UFC Gym Perimeter is new to the Atlanta area, It offers something for every member of the family and recently started a kids program with classes every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. I was really impressed with the program. The teacher was a really energetic staff member, and the kids just loved him! The kids classes are taught by a staff of rockstar, attentive professionals, and the UFC Gym kids classes help your little one learn self-confidence, coordination, discipline and self-defense.  Plus, it’s fun! The kids were all REALLY excited to get started!

The kids started out with stretches and then did several team relays. They split up into groups of three and ran from one end of the gym to the other, tagging out when they arrived back at the start. Not only did they run, but they also did a crab crawl and side shuffle! That was the first time Lucy had really done a crab crawl, and the coach was awesome and went with her, showing her the correct form.

Then, the kids got to go into the Octagon, where they played some games that involved hugging each other and pushing each other down. They had a BLAST! They also used the side of the Octagon to do planks. I was impressed because I can’t really do a plank myself! My 4-year-old rocked it out as well as the 12-year-olds!

After the Octagon, the kids came out and did some boxing with the heavy bags. The coach gave them different punches and kicks to do, and they all did a fantastic job! They also did an exercise where they laid on their backs with their feet under the heavy bags, did a sit up and then got up and punched.

The last exercise was a game similar to Duck, Duck, Goose, and then the younger kids crawled around the Octagon under the legs of the older kids.

The class lasted an hour, and my daughter was worn out afterward. But, she had a blast, and I loved it because at UFC Gym, boys and girls learn self-defense, self-confidence and discipline while having fun in a safe and entertaining group class format. It’s also a great way for them to burn energy and have fun!

To find a UFC Gym near you, go here!

Connect with UFC Gym Perimeter:

• Website: http://www.ufcgym.com/perimeter/
• Facebook: http://facebook.com/UFCGymPerimeter
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/UFCGymPerimeter
• Instagram: http://instagram.com/UFCGymPerimeter

This is a sponsored post with Mums the Word Network and UFC Gym Perimeter. All opinions are my own.