Can Kids Lift Weights? At What Age and How Weighty? Here’s What Parents Need to Know

Exercise is great for kids.

Children who exercise are fitter, stronger and less likely to get unwell overweight or obese. They have it better physical AND sanityperform better in class and are more likely to exercises as an adult.

In tiny, the more exercise they do now, the better. But what about strength training? If you’ve ever spent much time in the comments section of social media posts about kids lifting weights, you know there are heated debates about whether it’s protected for kids to do.

Unfortunately, there are still many myths about strength training and children. Scientific research suggests that it is protected as long as you follow a few common sense rules.

A common misunderstanding

Weightlifting is an example of “endurance training,” which can include bodyweight exercises, bulky lifting, jumping training, and even sprints.

A common misconception is that resistance training is harmful to children.

You’ve probably heard that this substance inhibits their growth – but this rumor is not supported by scientific evidence.

Concerns about stunted growth stem from the possibility that children may develop what is known as a “growth plate injury.” The growth plate is a piece of cartilage at the end of a bone that allows the bone to grow. These plates turn into bone at some point in puberty when bone growth stops.

Damage to the growth plate can lead to premature closure of the bone and a shortened limb – or stunted bone growth.

These injuries may occur in childrenHowever, most often they are caused by impact injuries, for example while playing sports or as a result of a fall.

In reality it is no evidence supervised resistance training program stunts children’s growth or damages growth cartilage.

The load on the body during resistance training is similar to that in jumping and landingsomething that all kids do. In addition, the risk of injury is much lower with resistance training than with many other recreational and sports activities.

What are the positives of kids lifting weights?

Resistance training improves children’s fitness physical fitnessincluding their strength, power, speed, agility and endurance.

Resistance training can also be beneficial for overweight or obese children who may be unwilling or unable to perform aerobic exercise such as running or swimming.

Resistance training can also benefit children’s physical and mental health. For example, it can improve their metabolic healthsupport them manage Librareduce symptoms depression and anxietyto correct self-esteemand support academically.

At what age can you start lifting weights?

While there is no minimum age to start, participants should be able to follow instructions and safety rules. Kids who are ready for sports are usually ready for some type of resistance training.

Both World Health Organization (WHO) and Australian Government recommend 60 minutes of physical activity per day for children aged 5 to 17. They encourage children to strengthen their muscles and bones at least three days a week.

Many exercises enhance muscle and bone strength. These include high-intensity sports, outdoor activities like climbing, jumping, and running, and, of course, resistance training.

This means that children do not necessarily have to lift weights. If they do these other types of exercises, everything is fine.

However, very few children meet these guidelines.

Australian data shows that less than one quarter (about 23%) Children aged 5 to 14 years ancient get enough exercise.

This number is reduced to approximately 6% among older children aged 15-17.

This proves that it is worth including physical exercise in your child’s daily routine.

How should your kids start resistance training?

The key is to start snail-paced and have some fun.

The goal is to get kids enjoying resistance training and prepare them for a lifetime of exercise. success.

For children at the beginning of primary school, the emphasis should be on balance, coordination, agility and endurance.

This means fun activities that involve running and chasing, as well as activities that develop muscular endurance (e.g. climbing, carrying and pushing objects).

You can also introduce bodyweight exercises – such as push-ups, pull-ups, and planks – to teach children how to move their bodies.

As they move into elementary school, kids can do more targeted workouts. These can include more bodyweight exercises, jumping workouts like hurdling and jumping rope, and even lithe weight workouts like squats and curls.

Finally, as they move into high school, they can try more formal strength training, using moderate weights. They may want to try lunges, deadlifts, presses, and rows.

As they gain confidence, they can try lifting heavier weights.

What should parents know?

First of all, resistance training has a relatively low risk of injury under appropriate supervision.

Proper supervision means that adults teach children proper technique and ensure that children do not fall into the trap of trying to impress their peers.

Second, start with lithe weights. For beginners, lifting lighter weights for about ten or fifteen repetitions (or “reps”) offers similar benefits to lifting heavier weights several times and it is probably safer.

Lifting lighter weights but doing more reps has another benefit: it allows kids to practice and refine their technique.

Finally, don’t be afraid to get involved. Adults benefit greatly from it from resistance trainingtoo.

So why not take advantage of this opportunity and join in?