Working on my fitness

I remember vividly the first time I set foot in a gym to actually "work out" and not just look around. I was 19 and had just finished my first year of college. I was home for the summer and visited a local fitness club, met with a trainer, got a summer membership, and began my long-term relationship with the gym.

Why did I wait so long? Well, technically, I lied above. During PE during some treacherous time in high school, our gym teacher used to make us lift weights as an alternative to playing basketball, football, baseball or any other sport I sucked in. But I never really did much in the gym. In many ways, I waited until that summer after my freshman year because I wasn't athletic, I didn't need to lift weights to stay "in the game" and I was a late bloomer. And while my body was still growing and developing, I (and my father) didn't see the need for me to be a gym working on my fitness. I'm not sure either why I didn't work out once I got to college. My best friends were athletes and visited the gym every day. Yet I never went with them. It just didn't appeal to me then.

Now, I would say I'm a frequenter of the gym. When I'm pressed for time, I average 3-4 times a week and when I have nothing but time (like now), I'm there about 6 times a week. So why all the gym talk? Well, in the last couple times that I've been there, I've noticed two young guys working out. I would call them boys but perhaps they're late bloomers too and I don't want to insult their ages. But they looked between 12-14. One of them today had a trainer. And it boggled my mind to see these two kids lifting and working out. I guess we all have to start somewhere and at sometime but I just don't know that I would want my child lifting weights in the gym at that age. Sure, I would want them to be active as I would want for these kids. Run, play sports, ride a bike, do pushups, jumping jacks, sit ups, whatever. But straining your body by lifting weights? I just don't know about that...

Thoughts? When is the "right" time to begin going to the gym?

Cheers.