In our modern day society, when we hear of the youth of this country, it is often for negative reasons: childhood obesity, underperformance in education, dwindling levels of fitness and rising levels of teenage pregnancies to name but a few.
Statistics being correct, when the youth appear to be in most need of help and guidance from their elders, we see more and more adults avoiding the teaching, coaching and helping of the young in fear of being regarded as ‘potential child abusers’ further poisoning the relationships between the generations.
Youth physical training is immensely important. Focussed and well-designed training for particular sports at an early age can see the development of a fantastic athlete. However, even for non-athletes, structured resistance, speed and agility training can have huge impact on Britain’s youth.
A top strength coach recently summarised to me why childhood obesity is on the rise and why kids shy away from the gyms and physical activity.
Firstly local facilities specialising in youth training simply do not exist anymore. Commercial facilities have little interest in youth training. It is not a money maker, and the interaction of the young and adults is near unheard of. The best that many can muster is an hours, once a week ‘supervised’ session in a non-peak time well away from their full paying adult public. The major issue with this is that the training is un-progressive, poorly designed, has a large focus on machine based resistance and offers little inspiration to young sports people. Many kids simply cannot see how their efforts transfer from the gym to the pitch or daily life and thus boredom follows.
Secondly, as already mentioned, many adults are steering clear of working with youngsters, but this is not the only issue. Many adults who train kids forget what it is like to actually be a kid, which can make training fruitless and lacklustre. Coaches working with kids must remember that children are not miniature adults. No matter how big and strong a child is, they are still physically less mature and are often experiencing many drills and training techniques for the first time. Even when this is taken into account, adult programs and training philosophies are not appropriate for younger populations, the intensity and volume are usually far beyond the reach of even the fittest youth. One of the most common mistakes that I have seen with trainers training kids fall into this category.
Thirdly, adults and schools are simply scared that resistance training will turn the kids of the UK into ‘an army of dwarves’. They therefore over the years have removed resistance training from curriculums and the minds of their children. The notion that resistance training will stunt the growth of children is far from the truth. Many studies have in fact shown that resistance-type training has a favourable influence on growth, providing appropriate training guidelines are followed. There have also been many studies linking increased bone density in adolescents with weight training. With women being more susceptible to conditions such as osteoporosis, building solid bone mass at an early age is an important way of avoiding the condition in later life.
Besides increased sports performance, for already-active kids who participate in sports, injury prevention is a hot topic. Every year, millions of injuries occur during sport participation, and with kids making up the majority of participants, this brings the likeliness of injury higher. In many cases these injuries occur due to the young athletes being ill prepared to handle the demands of their chosen sport: reacting to dynamic forces, and unpredictable movement patterns to name just a few. Building functional strength can help youths adapt to the stresses of the sport better, preventing strains, sprains and breaks, keeping them on the pitch for the entire season.
Childhood obesity is on the rise, due to poor nutritional habits, changes in hobbies and the popularity of sedentary lifestyles. Resistance training can offer youths a bang for their buck approach in increasing their fitness levels and how they look. As an adult, who grew up obese, I can say from my own experience that if I had been given the chance to resistance train at an earlier age I may have shed the weight a lot sooner than I did.
The thing about being obese at any age is that it is difficult to get involved in classes and team sports, because you already find yourself at a massive disadvantage to others. For those individuals who carry the extra weight, confidence is usually an issue. Joining team activities can further demotivate already demotivated individuals. When we are demotivated we do not have the grit to pursue our goals fully and the results we achieve are often below par.
With personal training and resistance training, the programs that are worked to are very individual. The only competitor is you, and this can give people a huge confidence boost. They are independent, and they can see that the work that is put in, directly translates to the results they are seeing. Not only can you get better results with a well thought out resistance training programme, but you can begin developing that body confidence that is so essential, particularly in this day and age. Research has also shown that those youths who are less fit to begin with might benefit the most from resistance based training compared to other forms.
For those kids that are not athletes and are not overweight, resistance exercise still offers huge benefits. Vandalism and other anti-social behaviour has been found to correlate with boredom. Weight training can be a fantastic way to let off steam, whilst keeping the mind of the youth invigorated and interested. Many life skills can be learnt from weight lifting; patience, the importance of hard work and dedication to name just a few.
Still not convinced? Sejnowsk concludes that exercise enhances the formation and survival of new nerve cells as well as the connections between nerve cells, which in turn improves long term memory’. With kids constantly being criticised in the press for their exam performances, every little helps right?
As with every article I write, it is important to supply a recommendation or a call to action. Although personal training may not be for everyone, encouraging your children to train with weights may well be a great idea! As well as boosting their fitness levels, encouraging body confidence, and preventing sporting injuries, training with your kids can be an awesome experience. For those with goals to work to, it is important to have people supporting you. Training with your kids not only offers the social support that many need, but exercise can offer a great bonding experience!
Here at Phoenix Pro Fitness our coaches are already experienced with training a wide variety of ages, from the age of 8 up to adults in their 70’s. Although personal training may not be the top of your list for your child, it may well be something to consider.
1:1 coaching of well-planned programmes that are adjustable to a child’s needs, as well as coaching aimed at the level of the child can offer a fun experience whilst getting your child fit. As with any special population, if you are considering personal training for your youngsters, make sure you get in contact with a reputable company/coach who has experience with training kids. They will be able to accurately monitor your child’s progress and tolerance to training, and can encourage your child to develop a fit and healthy lifestyle as well as training with weights.
Scott Marsh
21/10/2010
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