Posted on December 21, 2007 in Sports and Conditioning
Strength training is the practice of using free weights and weight machines to build muscles stronger and more efficient.
Introduce your kid to a variety of exercises and resistance. Kids love to learn new things, so working with resistance tubing in addition to the traditional free weights and machines is a great idea.
Is strength training beneficial for a kid?
Yes. Strength training exercises that are supervised, safe and age – designed offer many benefits to young athletes.
What are the benefits?
- Increases your kid’s muscle strength
- Protects your child’s muscles and joints from injury
- Better functioning of body parts
- Stronger bones
- Lower blood cholesterol levels
- A good fitness regime that lasts a lifetime
- Self confidence along with mental discipline gets boosted
Who benefits most?
Strength training benefits older pre-teens more than younger kids. It also helps those kids who have a focused interest in a particular sport eg football, gymnastics, athletes.
Important thumb rules of strength training for kids:
- To be done under guided instruction
- Supervise – to reinforce safety and proper technique/form.
- Warm up; cool down.
- Lift light weights supplemented with controlled repetitions
- Rest between workouts is necessary- give a gap of one day in between
- Add weight slowly and not at one go
- Make it a fun activity by adding variety.
When can a kid start with strength training:
Kids as young 6 years old can usually do strength-training activities (such as push-ups and sit-ups) as long as they can perform the exercises safely and follow instructions. These exercises can help build co-ordination and control of their bodies.
The initial focus should be on developing good form and learning the basics of strength training.
As they gradually get stronger, they can increase the amount of resistance they use, step by step, but only trained supervision.
Some misconceptions about strength training:
- Strength training may stunt the physical growth of kids.
- They should not lift weights until they are 12 years old.
However, there is no evidence to support these statements. About the question of age, children can begin to train with weights as soon as they are able to understand and follow directions – usually around the age of six to seven.
What are the risks involved?
- Muscle strains are the most common form of injury, and the lower back is the most commonly injured area. But these injuries occur if the kid has not used the proper technique or is trying to lift too much weight.
- Kids undergoing strength training should not use any kind of steroids to build muscles and improve performance. These drugs can cause severe risks to physical and psychological health.
Remember that the goal when exercising with children and introducing them to strength training is simple: Make it safe, have fun and help kids learn to love and understand the benefits of physical activity.
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