Childhood and adolescence are important periods for physical development and growth, which can bring life lasting physical benefits. The development of bone density, strength and power we can build at those ages can set us for success not only in sports, but also for health and longevity later in life. Unfortunately, the levels of muscular strength and endurance among youth seem to be decreasing over the years (1).
Resistance training not only increases strength and power, it also reduces the risk of injuries during the practice of sports, both acute and chronic ones (2). Additionally, it is also more likely to create a positive experience for many kids, particularly overweight and obese ones, who tend to have lower levels of fitness and therefore, struggle more when participating in more aerobic activities.
Despite the many benefits, often parents are worried about two things: injuries and growth stunt. In a 2020 report from the American Academy of Pediatrics, researchers highlight that injury rates in youth practicing resistance training are actually lower than those occurring in other sports, like volleyball or soccer (3). They also reaffirm that there’s no detriment to physical health (growth plate) or linear growth.
So how young is too young? As often in training, the answer is: it depends. Since kids are still developing their body awareness, it’s fundamental that they have proper guidance. As long as they are taught how to do the movements correctly, they have constant supervision and can follow the trainer’s instructions, they can start training.
Kids and pre-teens won’t build significant amounts of muscle mass, due to their hormonal profile, but nonetheless they’ll build strength and power, due to neurological adaptations.They’ll also improve their cardiovascular fitness, blood lipid profile, insulin sensitivity and mental health.
As always with kids, it’s key that they enjoy and have fun, and hopefully they’ll want to keep exercising for the rest of their lives. And we all know how good that would be!
1- PMID: 27741055
2- PMID: 30131332
3- PMID: 32457216
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