Over
the last decade across the nation, the numbers of adolescents
who have a gym membership has grown over 200 percent. While
some children are trying to fend-off excess weight, others are
trying their hands at weight training. There’s overwhelming
controversy surrounding the weight lifting and obesity issues
amongst children in America.
Weight
training is safe for children as long as a few guidelines are
followed. Primarily, children should exercise under the supervision
of certified and licensed professionals. To find qualified professionals,
research personal trainers who are certified by the American
College of Sports Medicine.
An adult
weight training program is different from a child’s regimen.
Until a child’s skeleton has been fully matured, they should
not lift the maximum weight. Lifting excessive weight may permanently
damage parts of the bone referred to as growth plates. Too much
pressure on the growth plates may result in a fracture.
Girls reach
their skeletal maturity between the ages of 14 and 16. In boys,
skeletal maturation occurs from 16 to 18 years old. Prior to
puberty, children have substantially low levels of testosterone.
Consequently, they are incapable of acquiring muscle mass the
way an adults does.
Inevitably,
the best way for children to work out is with a very low weight
load and a number of repetitions. According to the president
of Takes 2 Fitness in Nashville, Tennessee, Jeff Bergholtz,
for obese children lifting weights is a great form of exercise.
Unlike a push-up that requires a person to lift their own body
weight, free weights, can be customized to accommodate the user's
strength.
The underlying
advantage of strength-training exercises is how they are executed
with very little time between exercises. It allows kids to keep
their heart rates up which offers a cardiovascular element to
the exercise.
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