Longtime friends Katie Hart Smith and Kris Burnett can remember when children rode bikes, jumped rope and played hopscotch and tag until dinnertime.

Now children spend a lot of time watching TV or DVDs and playing video games. The two women decided to do something about it by creating a fitness video for kids.

BARRY WILLIAMS/Special (ENLARGE)

Katie Hart Smith (left) and Kris Burnett founded Smartmoovz Inc., which educates children about the importance of exercise and fitness.

Their talents dovetailed nicely. Smith, RN, BSN, MBA, had 20 years' experience in pediatric orthopedic nursing and sports medicine and was a certified aerobics instructor. Burnett's background was in communications, writing and video production.

They founded Smartmoovz Inc. and produced the video "Basic Moovz" in 2002.

"We couldn't have hit the market at any better time," Burnett said. "We were in production before the CDC (Centers for Disease and Control Prevention) and Surgeon General came out with their reports and concerns about the childhood-obesity epidemic.

"We tell people we are answering the Surgeon General's call to action, but actually our business came from our belief that physical fitness and proper nutrition should be the cornerstone of every child's development."

Before writing the script and developing the concept for the video, Smith and Burnett conducted extensive medical and market research.

"We wanted to provide low-impact physical activity that would be appropriate for all fitness levels and ages — from a child of 4 to a caregiver/grandmother with arthritis. It should be activities that people could do in a small space and without any extra equipment," Smith said. "We didn't want actors, so we recruited real children we knew."

Smith and Burnett dressed the children in dark, long-sleeved T-shirts and long pants with a strip down the side, so viewers could clearly see limb movements.

"We shot [video of] a lot of feet on the floor, so that kids would know where their feet should be. We wanted to make it easy to participate," Burnett said.

"Basic Moovz" is used in homes, hospitals, schools, doctor's offices and by community groups as a physical education enrichment and education program.

"One of our clients is Ronald McDonald House Charities of Chattanooga. The Ronald McDonald Care Mobile uses the video when they visit schools to lead nutrition and exercise classes with some of the area's poorest children," Burnett said.

Serving customers

Smartmoovz has a train-the-trainer program to educate teachers and youth leaders about how to use the video and nutrition materials to promote healthy lifestyles for children.

"We can and do customize our programs to fit the needs of our consumers," Smith said. "We might talk about nutrition and then do a healthy-shopping relay game, where team members have to run and choose healthy or unhealthy foods from a plastic food display."

Another activity that the women teach is holding up an M&M and asking the group how long someone has to walk to burn off the calories that the candy contains. Knowing that young minds are like sponges, Smith and Burnett hope the visual displays and activities will make an impression and the children will take the information home.

"We stay away from the word 'diet.' We advocate a natural balance of foods and a healthy lifestyle so that kids can feel good in their bodies," Smith said.

To teach young readers about fruits, vegetables and the importance of vitamins and minerals, they developed a series of Smartmoovz "Train the Brain" books.

Smith feels as if she's fulfilling her mission as a nurse, even though she doesn't practice clinical, hands-on care. About 10,000 children have been introduced to Smartmoovz materials.

"It's so rewarding to hear how we've impacted these kid's lives," she said.

Smith and Burnett plan to continue providing quality tools that mothers, teachers and health care workers can use to promote wellness in children.

"We love working with kids and seeing them get reinvigorated from our ideas," Burnett said. "One kid couldn't wait to tell me that he and his brother had been riding their bikes and walking the dog. Those were activities we'd listed on a fitness calendar we'd handed out."

They also love getting unexpected calls from satisfied customers.

"One mother called to tell me that her daughter wasn't fit enough to participate in youth sports, but that 'Basic Moovz' had become her favorite video and she was doing it with a friend. She said that the video had brought out her child's personality," Smith said.

Hearing that made Smith cry.

"That is exactly why we do this," Burnett added.

"Children are a precious gift, and if we don't teach them to live healthier lives now, what will their lives be like in 30 years?" Smith asked. "What chronic diseases and orthopedic problems will they have? This business is a passion of our mind and hearts."

ON THE WEB

For more information, go to Smartmoovz, Inc..