Notice
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Overview
A holistic approach to establish healthy children
The UW Health Kids Fitness Clinic helps children and teens between the ages of 5-18 who have concerns about their health, fitness or weight gain.
Working with the entire family, we perform a medical evaluation, look at exercise habits, diet and family health history to put together a plan for making healthier lifestyle choices. Plans always start with a focus on nutrition and activity changes as our goal is to assist children and families in achieving greater fitness, healthy bodies and the confidence to stay active and healthy throughout their lives.
For some children, medications may be discussed at a follow up visit, but they are not usually the first course of treatment and are most effective when combined with appropriate lifestyle changes. In many cases, insurance only considers covering medication for obesity for children 12 and over who have diabetes.
What to expect
First visit
The first appointment includes:
A health exam to evaluate medical status
Body composition scan, to measure a child's muscle, bone and fat
Exercise to track fitness levels and set goals
Nutrition consult to review diet and set healthy balanced eating goals.
Follow-up
After a plan is given, follow-up visits are coordinated by our care team, the patient and their family. Depending on the care plan, return visits may be scheduled every 1-2 months to monitor progress closely and review goals, or every 6-12 months for program maintenance and fitness testing.
After-school exercise program
Clinic patients are encouraged to join the after-school monitored exercise program that is held at the sports medicine exercise lab or indoor pool. Individualized exercise programs are give to each child with group activities held at the end of each session.
Schedule an appointment
To refer a patient or schedule an appointment for your child, call (608) 263-5210.
Parents interested in the program should contact their insurance provider for benefit information prior to scheduling the first appointment. If your insurance company requires a referral for this visit, please ask your child’s doctor to submit a referral electronically or via fax. If they have any questions, they can call (608) 263-5210.
Take a tour
Location
How to find us
The UW Health Kids Fitness Clinic is located within the Research Park Clinic in Madison, Wis.
Meet our team
Collaborative commitment to your child's success
The UW Health Kids Fitness team is dedicated to helping families live active, healthy lives. At this clinic, you will have access to doctors, exercise physiologists, nurses, registered dietitians and clinical nutritionists.
Our providers
Patient education
Helpful resources for the whole family
For kids
- Physical activity for kids
- Goal-setting worksheet (pdf)
- Plan a scavenger hunt (pdf)
- Core exercise (pdf)
- Advanced core exercises (pdf)
- Kids and exercise
- Healthy recipes
- Choose your own workout (pdf)
- Elija su propio entrenamiento (pdf)
- 5210 (pdf)
- 5210 tracking sheets (pdf)
- Fitness flash cards (pdf)
- Horses Have Heart (pdf)
- Activity tracker (pdf)
- RPE scale (pdf)
- Activity circle (pdf)
- Exploring why you eat
- Creating healthy habits
- Five a day the color way: Eating the rainbow (pdf)
For teens
- 10 ways to measure improved well-being without a scale
- How do I calculate calories?
- Kids and exercise
- Healthy recipes
- Dehydration
- Fluids in your diet
- Core exercise (pdf)
- Advanced core exercises (pdf)
- Reasons to change chart (pdf)
- Activity circle (pdf)
- RPE scale (pdf)
- Activity tracker (pdf)
- Horses Have Heart (pdf)
- 5210 (pdf)
- 5210 tracking sheets (pdf)
- Choose your own workout (pdf)
- Elija su propio entrenamiento (pdf)
- Food portions: How much should I eat?
- Creating healthy habits
- Exploring why you eat
For parents
- Keeping kids active
- Motivating kids to be active
- Healthy recipes
- Growth and your 6- to-12-year-old
- Growth and your 13- to-18-year-old
- Overweight and obesity
- Healthy eating
- Motivating kids to be active
- Your child’s weight
- School lunches
- MyPlate food guide
- Kids and food: 10 tips for parents
- Healthy lunchboxes
- Eating habits for life
- Creating healthy habits
- Helping your kid like vegetables
- Readiness to change (pdf)
- Reasons to change chart (pdf)
- Age-appropriate portions (pdf)
- Portion control of household objects (pdf)
Online resources
- NFL Play 60
- American Heart Association: Healthy Living
- HyVee Fit Kids (videos, tracking, exercise and nutrition information)
- Go Noodle (movement and mindfulness videos)
- Cosmic Kids yoga
- Exercise Buddy (inspires individuals with autism and related disorders to exercise)
- Move and Thrive (videos of movement and mindfulness for teens)