Why One Celeb Trainer Works Out With His 6-Year-Olds
Trainer David Kirsch is teaching his twins Emilia (left) and Francesca (right), pictured here at their dad’s gym, the importance of daily activity. (Photo: Fair Winds Press)
Celebrity trainer and wellness entrepreneur David Kirsch is best known for helping stars such as Heidi Klum, Kate Upton, and Jennifer Lopez sculpt their eye-popping bodies. But to those in Kirsch’s inner circle, he’s become famous for an entirely different role — being a doting dad to his six-year-old twin daughters Emilia and Francesca.
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But Kirsch didn’t become one of the country’s top trainers by being a pushover (Whiners Not Welcomed may as well be posted on the door of his private training facility). So when it comes to his girls, the doting is tempered with a healthy dose of discipline. “To me, loving your kids means teaching them to make smart choices from an early age —not just handing over a sweet treat,” says Kirsch, whose new book Ultimate Family Wellness (out in December) aims to give parents an easy roadmap to a healthy lifestyle. Here’s a sneak peek at Kirsch’s kid-friendly health, fitness and nutrition advice.
YP: Is there really any reason to implement an exercise routine for children?
DK: The moment your kids start crawling they are exercising. To them, movement is fun and organic. (Have you ever seen a young child squat down to pick something off the floor? They do it naturally and perfectly. It never ceases to amaze me how low they can get). It is adults who have turned daily activity into a mandatory chore. So if your kids are active, then no —I don’t think a formal exercise routine is necessary. The problem is, many kids today don’t get the level of activity that they need and that, coupled with some other factors, has contributed to the sad and deeply troubling childhood obesity epidemic.
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YP: We’ve become a nation of sedentary families —all camped out on the sofa next to one another buried on our digital devices. How can parents set a better example?
DK: Parents are busy, overwhelmed people. So the best thing to do is to find ways to build activity into your day. Emilia, Francesca and I walk to school every day, we go for bike rides along Manhattan’s Hudson River, we kick the soccer ball around in the park. And when the weather gets bad, we have dance–offs in the apartment! Exercise does not have to take place in the gym.
“Every meal is a teaching moment,” says Kirsch. “The kitchen is a great place to spend time with kids.” (Photo: Fair Winds Press)
YP: What should you never do with young kids?
DK: You should never have young kids lift weights —doing so could damage their growth plates. Kids’ body weight provides enough of a challenge all on its own.
YP: Do you alter what you feed your girls based on their fitness activities?
DK: I have taught my daughters to listen to their bellies to determine how hungry they really are. After a very sporty, active day, we tend to eat a little more fuel in the form of carbohydrates — brown rice, beans, quinoa and even gluten–free pasta. But in general, we strive to consistently eat healthfully. Every meal is a teaching moment, which is why I make it a point to include the girls in the grocery shopping, food prep and cooking. The recipes in my book are things we’ve made and enjoyed as a family over and over.
YP: Parents can be critical of each other’s parenting styles —have you gotten any flack for, say, posting Instagram photos of the girls “working out”?
DK: Believe it or not, no — at least to my face! But I have had parents tell me that they are inspired by our family to get into better shape and to be more active. And to me, that’s the best compliment because that’s one of my missions and the whole reason I wrote the book.
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YP: Have you noticed a positive impact on your daughters’ body image, and, on the flip side, have there been any negative ones?
The most important thing to me has been teaching the girls that bodies come in all shapes and sizes, and that it is never about being “skinny”, but rather being healthy and loving the body you were blessed with. Just last week, I asked Emilia if my muscles were looking a little smaller, to which she replied, “Yes, Daddy…but that’s okay.” My daughter’s kind response assured me that she’s received the right message — that what’s truly important is to feel healthy and strong. And for the record, I’m just as inspired by them to stay fit and active— being a single parent to six-year-olds takes a lot of energy!
David Kirsch’s Ultimate Family Wellness is available for pre-order now.
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