With the overwhelming ease of access to screens, kids are becoming more and more inactive. The WHO points to physical inactivity as one of the leading risk factors for global mortality. There is an undeniable need for increased activity in youth and many parents have turned to organized sport to get their kids moving.
Is this enough? According to the latest position statement on youth resistance training published in the British Medical Journal, not quite. Research suggests that participation in youth sports alone does not ensure the child will acquire the necessary coordination, skill, and strength that will decrease risk of injury. In addition to sport participation, we should be encouraging our children to participate in fundamental movements…with a strong emphasis on FUN.
Fundamental movements include:
throwing, catching, jumping, striking, running, kicking, and overall agility, balance and coordination.
Together, these skills form the basis for more complex sport movements. Failure to learn the proper mechanics of these foundational movements places children at higher risk for injury, even into adulthood.
There are misinformed concerns that resistance training will stunt a child’s growth and development if implemented too early. The myth that weight training may injure developing growth plates is not supported by scientific studies, in fact, it has been found that mechanical stress placed on growth plates during exercise may enhance bone formation and growth. Childhood may be the most opportune time to strengthen the skeleton and to learn fundamental movements. Inactivity during these developmental years can actually result in long-term health issues, especially regarding bone development. Training programs that are properly supervised and multifaceted have been shown to promote safer movement mechanics, including reducing the likelihood of ACL injury especially in females.
So what does a child-sized fundamental movement and strength training program look like?
First and foremost, any fitness program should be supervised by a qualified fitness instructor, Certified Athletic Trainer, or other health care professional. If injuries do occur, usually it is under the supervision of individuals who are not properly qualified. Avoid injury with appropriate supervision and a prudent training program.
A variety of exercises in each of the fundamental movement categories should be performed during each exercise session. This is where creativity comes into play. Remember… fundamental movements.
Sensible program progression should begin with basic jumping and landing exercises that children often experience during free play. These movements require the body to endure up to seven times its weight, which is far more than during resistance training and enough to enhance bone development.
Since gains in muscular strength before puberty are largely due to neural adaptations, the focus of a fundamental training program in children should be enhancing muscle strength, function and control rather than muscle size. It is encouraged to identify any functional deficits early and to properly address the child’s individual limitations.
No matter the age, functional training results in a decreased risk of injury and an increase in self-confidence. Encouraging your child to master fundamental movements before progressing to sport activities may be the best thing you do for her health. Positive experiences with physical activity before puberty are likely to result in a lifelong positive association with a healthy lifestyle.
Lloyd RS, Faigenbaum AD, Stone MH, Oliver JL. Position statement on youth resistance training: the 2014 International Consensus. British Medical Journal. Sept 2013.
Myer Gd, Faigenbaum AD, Edwards NM, et al. Sixty minutes of what? A developing brain perspective for activating children with an integrative exercise approach. British Journal of Sports Medicine. Jan 2015.