We have been offering kids classes throughout our 8 years. Ranging from ages 3 to 18 years old, a lot has changed in these 8 years. Back then the idea of young kids and teenagers lifting weights was deemed as unsafe and irresponsible. Well, tell that to every Weightlifting powerhouse nation on earth whose athletes seem to start at younger and younger ages.
Even over in the CrossFit world we see athletes who start at younger ages. Mallory O’Brien started CrossFit at the age of 10. At age 12 she started attempting Wodapalooza qualifiers and at Age 14 attempted to Qualify for her first CrossFit games in the Teen category. At the age of 17 she competed at the 2021 CrossFit Games and finished in 7th place. That being said, Mal O’Brien is an exemplary athlete who started her athletic background at age 3 with gymnastics. Not all kids are Mal. Not all kids are going to be her or have the athletic “gift” that she possesses.
What is important to understand though is that kids need exercise now more than ever. Kids are less and less inclined to play outside, and on the playgrounds, to play sports or participate in activities. Covid and its restrictions have kept kids even more so inside, off the sport fields and have caused a lot of psychological damage we are yet to understand.
So, what do we know?
Pros of Kids Exercising
- Strengthens the heart
- Strengthens the lungs
- Reduces blood sugar levels
- Controls body weight
- Strengthens bones
- Improves energy levels
- Improves mental well being
Types of exercise:
Gymnastics, Aerobics, Functional Fitness/CrossFit, Cycling, Running, Swimming, Tennis and Team Sports
The examples stated above are just to name a few. I will be focusing on Functional Fitness as that is what we offer to our kids.
Safety Concerns:
To put it bluntly it is safer than most team sports. The risk of injury is minuscule in comparison to contact sports like Rugby or Hockey. Another question that parents ask is if lifting weights is safe and will it not stunt the child’s growth.
We believe it's important to teach kids from a young age how to squat, lift and press. From ages 4-10 we would only let them “lift” using a PVC or a plastic pipe. From ages 10-13 we start to add very little weight to their program. There is a caveat, if the child is an athlete like Mal O’Brien they fall into a different category and their programming will change as such.
We evaluate each child also on how they are developing. Some do develop faster than others and can progress faster than others. As coaches it is our job to ensure that we do not endanger a child by asking them to attempt any movement or lift that they simply can’t do or possess the skills to do.
There are so many articles and opinions out there with regards to what weight training does to a child’s body, it's hard to say with scientific fact that lifting weights will indeed stop growth or not. What I will say is we handle each child on a case-to-case basis. We will never allow a child to Snatch or Clean & Jerk a bar if we do not believe the child has developed to a point where they can do that safely. The juice is not worth the squeeze to force that upon a child.
When we do an exercise that involves lifting weight, we program the exercise in such a way that the volume is high but weight very low. We want to see perfect technique over volume and intensity.
How does exercise affect my child’s mental well being?
The lockdown has influenced us all in some shape or form. Our children are not immune to this. The effects on their psychological well-being we still don’t really understand or know how much damage it has done.
Exercise helps reduce anxiety and depression. Although exercise won’t help your child to never experience anxiety or depression it does help to reduce the severity of it.
Exercise is also a great way to turn their day around. Just 30min of exercise can make all the difference. Being around friends, doing some fun movements or playing a game with the class can bring about major changes.
It also builds confidence. This is a key point. We see a lot of children come into our facility that are very low on confidence and self esteem. Children should be world beaters and fearless go getters. Instead we experience children who are afraid of failure, being judged or ridiculed. It is important that when we start to work with them to know that they are in a safe environment and that every kid involved is there to have fun and enjoy each other’s company in the process..
I also like to challenge my athletes, not only in the gym but also on an academic level. My number 1 motivator during school exam times is to challenge them. For every 1% they achieve above 75% on an exam, I will do 1 burpee. We write down all their names and we start to allocate burpees to my name as their results come in.
You will not believe the drive and excitement that this generates just so that the kids can get their coach to do burpees. Without them noticing we gave them something to work towards, we encourage them to push harder with academic ability and best of all, there is a smile on their faces.
I think it's safe to say most parents understand the physical benefits of children exercising. It should go without saying that children should not be overweight. Yes, there are mitigating circumstances to why some children struggle with weight control but apart from medical reasons we should not let our children get to that point. The mental struggle they will endure, not to mention the physical issues that arise with being overweight at such a young age.
We can keep ranting on for hours and provide you with all the scientific evidence, but nothing will change your mind quite like coming to see for yourself. Bring your child in for a free session and let them tell you what they did. The benefits to your child are infinite. We are after all raising the future.
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