Sports are getting more and more competitive each year. Kids are becoming bigger, faster and stronger than they have ever been before. Many experts have found that lifting weights at a young age can damage a child’s growth plates. The cause of most of these injuries is from lifting to much weight at such a young age.
Kids should focus on body weight exercise to improve their strength and speed instead of weight lifting. While in elementary school kids can do activities such as tag, relays, tug a war and other fun games to help improve their strength. Not only are this activities helpful when trying to gain strength and speed but your child will also be having fun while getting a great workout. Once getting to middle school kids should really start to focus on other body weight exercise such as push ups, sit ups, body squats, lunges or any other exercises using just the child’s own body weight. At this age it is very important to focus on the correct form of each of these exercises and really teach your child how important it is to do them correctly. As your son or daughter gets into high school they can begin to lift lighter weights but need to really focus again on the correct form of each exercise.
There are plenty of fun exercises to do with your child that will benefit them with out causing injuries at a young age. Participating with your child in daily exercise will not only get them excited about working out but will also keep you young!
