The American Academy of Pediatrics has endorsed a policy that supports pediatric strength training with appropriate supervision and the above approaches. In addition, very few children need to have restrictions placed on their activity, so if you are concerned speak with your child’s physician so they can do a medical screening for these conditions ( they include things like Marfan’s syndrome, preexisting high blood pressure, or a history of having received certain types of chemotherapy, so all very rare things!)
|Strength training results in loss of flexibility
||Research shows that strength training does not decrease flexibility and that incorporation of a stretching program has resulted in improved flexibility.
|Strength training is dangerous to growth plates.
||Strength training is not harmful to the growth plates when done in supervised settings using low weight and high repetitions. In fact, research shows that it is safer than playing soccer, football, and basketball.
|Strength training will not result in an increase in strength until puberty.
||Well-designed strength training programs of at least 8 weeks’ duration can increase strength by 30% to 50%. However, in young athletes, these changes happen by changing how the muscle works rather than increasing the muscle size.
The American Academy of Pediatrics endorses strength training for children with very specific guidelines, most of which I’ve already mentioned. In addition, class sizes should be in a ratio of no more than 10:1 (student:teacher) and the coach should be certified.
Strength training isn’t just “ok” for kids, it’s great for them and gives them skills, both physical, emotional and social, that will help them succeed later in life, and will help guarantee that they have an early start on a road to lifelong health. Anyone who has seen the kids and teens class at the gym has seen the amazing comradery, sense of accomplishment and enthusiasm it creates for the kids participating, and that is an amazing thing. AS a pediatrician, I couldn’t support the idea more!