So you want to go the gym and get in shape, but you don't want to ditch the kids? Take them with you!

We discovered lots of health clubs are also putting in great equipment for your kids, and they can get a workout along witn you.

Imagine a babysitter that gets your child moving…running at the soccer field…or even rock climbing!

Gordon Ebanks and Kelly Mateo are thrilled with their health club's newest offerings for kids.

"He loves it…so he comes home thinking that he's Spider Man," Ebanks said.

Mateo concurred. "They do gymnastics; they do basebal.l"

Their children are part of a growing trend at health clubs across the nation, said Mollie Marcoux, who is the general manager of a health club in New York. "Families are looking for things for kids to do to develop themselves physically, as well as socially and emotionally."

And that's why more and more gyms are turning old fashioned childcare rooms into fitness fun houses. Great news for parents like Kelly Mateo.

"I bring them here, I go over to the gym; I get in a workout," she demonstrated.

That's what it's all about, said Mollie Marcoux, the general manager. "Helping families move toward a physical lifestyle is so crucial…and particularly with all the video games that are out there and TV shows," she told us.

Pediatricians like Dr. Wendy Slusser concurred-- saying there's plenty of evidence that even a little activity can help put the brakes on obesity.

"If you can tip us back over the edge to where a child might be expending 150 calories in an activity, we will be preventing this obesity epidemic down the line," Dr. Slusser explained.

Some critics caution parents about having toddlers "work out," saying repetition could hurt their growing bodies. But proponents say these programs certainly aren't boot camp.

And that's just fine, said Dr. Slusser. "They're learning spatial orientation; they're learning balance. These are things that are basically steps toward learning sports later in life."

But parents say they're learning a lot more than sports. It also helps their self-esteem and confidence.

The cost for the programs vary, and could be more expensive than the average daycare, but many are competitive with prices for sporting programs you'd enroll a child in for exercise.