Childhood obesity is an epidemic in our modern society. Approximately 25% of Australian children and adolescence are overweight or obese. An active lifestyle is an important habit to combat sedentary behaviour. Strength training is a great way to improve athletic performance and maintain physical fitness. The obvious goal of strength training is to get stronger. However, there a lot of myths surrounding the fitness industry about strength training in children and adolescence. It is a common misconception that weight training will stunt your child’s growth or damage their bones. In this blog we are going to explore some key notes about the benefits, risk and recommendation in strength training for children.
Is strength training safe for my child?
Strength training for children is an overall safe way to get fit with a very few risks. Some resistance training benefits include:
- Increase muscle strength
- Strengthens bones
- Improves cardiovascular fitness
- Reduce prevalence of childhood obesity
- Improves concentration at school
- Increases performance at sports
- Encourages children to build a good habit to keep physically fit
The current research debunks many resistances training associated risks. Strength training will not damage your joints and growth plates. Therefore, it will not stunt your child’s growth or cause deformation. When strength training is appropriately prescribed then it will not cause muscle imbalances or put your child at risk of injury. It is always important to consult your doctor before starting any exercise program.
How do I get started?
Strength training is common part of sports and physical fitness for young people. Strength training is available in many forms, these can include using free weights, body weight, resistance bands and machines. The amount of repetitions and sets your child is recommended to do is dependent on their goals. The most popular goal is to increase muscle strength. To achieve this, the exercise session needs to be a minimum of 30 minutes for 2-3x a week. Proper technique and supervision is required for safety reasons. The child should begin with a low resistance exercise until they master the technique. When 8-15 repetitions can be performed then your child can increase the weight by 10% increments. A good start is to include 3-5 exercises per session that cover both the trunk, upper limb and lower limb. All children should be encouraged to exercise and it doesn’t have to be tedious process. Bring a friend, commit to a class, make it fun for your child! If you would like to get started with a strength training program for your child, we can help! Our physiotherapists are experts at determining areas of muscle weakness. Our physiotherapists will also be able to prepare your child to perform at their best in their chosen sport. Contact us today!
References:,
Strength Training by Children and Adolescents. Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness. Pediatrics 2008;121;835. DOI: 10.1542/peds.2007-3790.
Overweight and Obesity. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Available at: https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/australias-health/overweight-and-obesity