What You Should Know About Kids And Exercise

If your kids are around ages 6-8 years, and they start to show an interest on weight lifting or other forms of exercising, you might find yourself confused on the right step of action. Some people think it is ok for kids that age to exercise, while others are a bit dubious. In a nutshell, exercise for your child is very beneficial and crucial, and the kid should be allowed to join a weight training or exercise program. However, certain things have to be kept in mind.

First off, your mind should know that a child is not a miniature adult. They are totally different from adults anatomically, emotionally, and physiologically. Thus, adult exercising methods shouldn’t be used for children. Remember, the children’s skeletons are not yet fully developed. Actually, the bones start to mature when the children reach age 14-22. Girl child exercise in particular is very crucial as it can have critical effects on the health of their bones, which can sometimes even last a lifetime.

More often than not, children are prone to development related overuse damages like Osgood schlatter illness. Equally, children have a large surface area judged against their muscle mass. As such, they have undeveloped temperature regulation systems, which make them more vulnerable to injuries if they are not appropriately warmed up. The low muscle mass and undeveloped hormone system complicates things even further as it makes it problematic for the kids to develop speed and strength.

It is also important to keep in mind that the rate at which kids sweat is much slower than that of adults. Therefore making them more vulnerable to heat stroke and heat fatigue. The way the children’s heart and breathing respond while exercising is equally very different from that of adults, hence will have an impact on their exercise capabilities. However, when it comes to weight training, children are known to improve their overall body strength much better than adults. This is attributed to neurological factors.

Before taking any exercise program for children, the first step would be to get medical clearance. Your initial approach will then be focused on establishing a recurrence range of 8-12. Ensure the workload remains suitable for that gamut. Make sure that the exercises are well-spread throughout the days, with at least 1-2 full rest days in between the workouts. Your main focus while designing an exercise program shouldn’t be on the amount of weight that the kids lift, but on the form of each exercise executed.

Proper preparation in form of stretching and warm up should precede the actual weight training. Kick start the children with light loads, then gradually fiddle with the loads accordingly. Note that there shouldn’t be more than three uninterrupted workout sessions in a week. The final thing that you have to ensure is that the children drink a lot of water. Just as adults, kids too will sweat while exercising which leads to dehydration.