Tumbling, weight training and fun are all woven into the Champions class at My Gym Honolulu, a 2,400-square-foot facility in Aina Haina Shopping Center.

Parents drop off their keiki at the hour-long class, designed to help 5- to 8-year-olds perfect exercise form and master sports and gymnastic skills.

Six-year-old Sanya Valot has been going to classes for about a year. The trampoline and zip line are among her favorite things at the gym.

Her father, Steve Valot, a Kahala resident, said that the classes have helped his daughter come out of her shell.

“She was so shy,” he said. “Early age development is so important. It directs the rest of your life.”

Sanya sometimes participates in circuit training sessions that use dumbbells and other equipment, so an added benefit is burning off energy at the end of the day, he added.

“Many of our Champions are involved in organized sports in parks and schools or study dance or martial arts,” said gym director Kerry Robitaille. “This class introduces a wide range of physical skills and cooperative group activities in preparation for these outside activities.”

Robitaille noted that child obesity has doubled in the past two decades, and that 10 percent of all children between the ages of 2 and 5 are already overweight.

“We are dedicated to reversing this dangerous trend,” she said.

They do this by keeping the action fast paced and the activities diverse — and by emphasizing the fun in movement.

Skill stations are set up to expose the kids to gymnastic skills such as balancing, swinging, jumping and landing, and doing forward rolls and handstands.

Other stations feature an exercise of the week, like squats or lifting 2-pound dumbbells, under the supervision of gym teachers.

“We make sure they are capable (of lifting the weights properly), otherwise they use bean bags or other small objects to keep it fun and entertaining,” Robitaille said. The student-to-teacher ratio never exceeds 6-to-1.

A different relay race is done each session and focuses on agility, speed, gross motor development and team work.

“Our facilities, programs and services empower youngsters by helping them acquire the skills, confidence and positive self-image needed to become healthy young adults,” Robitaille said.

Drills for specific games like volleyball or tennis are also introduced each week so the kids can learn proper form, agility and rules of the game or sport. Tumbling skills like cartwheels or handstands are performed on the floor. And games like freeze tag, hide-and-seek and tug of war are fun activities that are incorporated into the workouts with a focus on gross motor development and problem solving, she added.

“The kids learn more about themselves as they develop independence, self-discipline, social skills and even a sense of humor,” she said.

Champions classes are held at 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at the Honolulu location, 820 West Hind Drive, No. 1227 (537-1900, mygym.com/Honolulu). Tuition for one class per week is $88 every four weeks; plus a one-time $85 initiation fee, or sign up for a free trial class. Individual classes can be booked for $35 per session.

Champions is also offered at the Kailua My Gym, 1020 Keolu Drive (230-8222, mygym.com/Kailua), 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays. Pricing may vary.

Contact franchises to register or for a full list of classes for keiki ages 7 months to 10 years.