Kids Fitness: How Should YOUR Child Be Exercising?

Should children be allowed to work out? Is kids fitness good or bad for their health? Well, studies show…

The phrase “studies show” or “studies done” gets thrown around quite a bit. Many times results lead people to jump to conclusions and generalize that something is good or bad for you. However, it’s not always black and white, although that would make it easier to understand.

The question of whether weight training stunts growth in adolescents has been around for awhile now. It actually dates back to research done in Japan in the 1970s. Child laborers were examined and determined to be “abnormally short.” It was concluded that physical labor which included lifting and moving heavy weights for hours lead to stunted growth. Over the years this study as well as other reports and word of mouth lead people to believe that children should not lift weights.

This has since be shown to not be true. Resistance training does not stunt growth. Why then did the child laborers not grow to “regular” heights, you ask? A safe bet would be malnutrition and poor sanitation because if these children were working for hours doing physical labor, they may not have been fed properly. This would mean that they did not get adequate vitamins and minerals essential to help them grow to full height.

It is also believed that adolescents would receive no benefit from weight training because they may not be able to grow muscle. This has led to the assumption that since no muscle is grown, children get no benefit from resistance training. However, a recent review published in Pediatrics looked at 60 years’ worth of studies done on children from the age of 6 to 18 and found that they did in fact grow stronger from weight training.

What’s the next step now that you know kids fitness is safe? In general, resistance training is a good idea if your child wants to do it. Your 6 year old will not grow biceps like Arnold but he or she will get stronger. Some of the most important aspects to focus on besides strength training, thought, are an effective warm up, focusing on form first and varying the type of exercise.

So what should a kids fitness program look like? Well first of all it should be fun. If your child hates it, then a structured strength training program may not be the best, because the results only come if the program is followed (of course).

You know those days where you don’t feel like working out? Kids can have those too! That’s why the focus should be on full body movements such as pushups, squatting, and pullups, running, and jumping. These exercises mimic those that can be done on a play ground or running around the backyard. If workouts are associated with “fun” rather than “work” from an early age, the adolescent is more likely to develop healthy habits for a lifetime, rather than a few months or years.

Guidelines for Kids Fitness:

Make sure they are using the best form possible. Discourage bad technique but remember that their bodies are not fully developed so can move in ways most adults cannot. However, starting early will help them develop body awareness and muscle control.

Warm-up. Anyone no matter what age should warmup before exercising. Cold muscles injury a lot easier than warmer ones.

Do not overload with weight. Use empty barbells, light dumbbells, or body weight. Stick to high rep ranges (10-20+ reps).

Make sure your kid’s fitness doesn’t turn into a chore.

Try this Workout:

Warm-up:

Toe Touches – 1-2×15
Jumping Jacks – 1-2×20
Lunges – 1-2×10/e
High Knees – 1-2×20 seconds
Arm Circles – 1-2×20 seconds
Burpees – 1-2×5-10

Workout:

Pushups – 3x As Man Reps as Possible (AMRAP)Body Squats – 3xAMRAP
Pullups – 3x AMRAP
Chair Dips – 3x AMRAP
Calf raises – 3×20/e
Sit-ups – 3×10

The workout will not look much different than an adult at home workout with body weight only. If your child hates it, do your best to encourage working out without structure. As long as he or she is moving more and sitting less you are headed in the right direction.