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by Stacy Popke / July 19,
2008  Children's exercise is a hot
topic nowadays. With
childhood obesity on the
rise and video games all the
rage, the odds of being fit
seem to be stacked against
today's youth. The grim
prospect of overweight and
obese children transforming
into obese adults is a deadly
message we cannot turn a
blind eye to.
One study revealed that
an estimated 80% of
overweight adolescents were
obese by the time they
reached age 25. If this
isn't a cry for help, then
what is? It is clear that
physical activity, along
with a nutritious diet with
a moderate caloric intake,
is a must for children if
they are to be healthy into
adulthood.
But how much physical
activity is enough for kids?
Will too much exercise harm
their growing, adolescent
bodies?
Recommended Exercise
Guidelines from the NASPE
The
National Association
for Sport and Physical
Education (NASPE) offers a
report on exercise
guidelines for children aged
5-12. This document,
Physical Activity for
Children: A Statement of
Guidelines for Children Ages
5-12, is revised
periodically to provide an
accurate look at the
physical fitness needs of
children.
The latest edition
recommends that children get
at least an hour of exercise
each day. This should be
accomplished most days of
the week, and preferably
every single day. The
guidebook encourages
children to exceed that one
hour minimum and to exercise
for several hours, if it can
be done reasonably and
safely.
The recommended amount of
exercise does not have to be
done all at once. It is
acceptable for children to
break up this activity into
15-minute blocks. If fact,
children are encouraged to
keep their blocks of
physical activity to less
than two hours. Exercising
for extended periods of time
is stressful for the body
and the risk of injury is
heightened.
The report also
encourages a variety of
physical activities to be
experienced on a regular
basis. This allows for the
achievement of total health
and keeps the body from
reaching an exercise
plateau, thereby decreasing
the effectiveness of
exercise on health.
Strength Training
Safety from the ACE
The
American Council on
Exercise (ACE) considers
children as young as six
years of age to be fit
enough to strength train.
Training using weights helps
increase a child's athletic
ability, muscularity, and
motor fitness. Once thought
to cause injury, we now know
that strength training
actually has the capability
to decrease injury in
children.
Strength training can
involve using weights or
just bodyweight. Good
exercises for children to
start out with include
push-ups, pull-ups, and
crunches. All body parts
should be worked out in
order to avoid muscular
imbalances, which would
increase risk of injury.
As with adults who train,
children are advised to
maintain good form
throughout the exercises. An
adult should be available
during the workout in order
to provide guidance and
support. To decrease risk of
an injury, it is recommended
that children complete a
warm-up and pre-workout
stretch before exercising
and, following their
workout, do a cool-down and
post-workout stretch.
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