What is Youth physio?
Physiotherapy helps with the development, rehabilitation, and improvement of movement skills and performance, which is especially important for our growing youth! Growth spurts place different stresses on children’s musculoskeletal and nervous systems. Physiotherapists are important contributors to the health and well-being of children.
Strength training for children can...
Stimulate bone mineralization Increases bone density
Strengthens connective tissues Improves cardiovascular fitness
Reduces risk of childhood obesity Improves mental health and self-confidence
Improves concentration and performance
Helps encourage lifelong engagement in fitness
Strength training for children does not...
Damage joints or growth plates
Stunt growth or cause deformations
Create muscle imbalances
Have higher risks of injury
Adversely affect body image
Strength training recommendations for children
Guidelines
Frequency: 2-3x/wk on non-consecutive days
Length: 30-60 min
Use 3-5 exercises per session that include trunk, upper and lower limbs
Use a mix of strength & plyometric exercises
Do 1-3 sets of 6-15 reps
Appropriate Evaluation
All effective care begins with a thorough examination which includes a detailed history and physical exam performed by one of our registered health professionals. This is optional but recommended.
Resistance Training for Children and Adolescents
Positive outcomes of improved strength in youth continue to be acknowledged, including improvements in health, fitness, rehabilitation of injuries, injury reduction, and physical literacy.
Resistance training is not limited to lifting weights but includes a wide array of body weight movements that can be implemented at young ages to improve declining measures of muscular fitness among children and adolescents.
Scientific research supports a wide acceptance that children and adolescents can gain strength with resistance training with low injury rates if the activities are performed with an emphasis on proper technique and are well supervised.
Gains in childhood strength are primarily attributed to the neurologic mechanism of increases in motor neuron recruitment, allowing for increases in strength without resultant muscle hypertrophy.
It is important to incorporate resistance training into physical education classes and youth sport programs to increase muscular strength, reduce the risk of overuse injuries, and spark an ongoing interest in this type of exercise.
FROM THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS
CLINICAL REPORT - JUNE 2020