While strength training was once doubted to benefit children, recent research confirms that children and teenagers can boost their muscle strength with regular workouts.
While strength training was once doubted to benefit children, recent research confirms that children and teenagers can boost their muscle strength with regular workouts.
In the past there have been concerns that school-age children and teenagers might run a high risk of injuring themselves through strength training, which can be performed using free weights, exercise machines, elastic bands or the body's own resistance. However, past studies have shown that children's risk of injury from strength training is no more than that from other types of exercise or sports. Experts now say that the potential benefits of such training such as increased bone density, decreased body fat and boosting performance and curbing injury risk in sports generally outweigh any risks.
Researchers combined the results of 42 previously published studies that involved a total of 1,728 children and teenagers in Germany who were randomly assigned to perform supervised strength training or serve as a control group. They looked at age and other factors that might influence the effectiveness of strength training for children. In most of the studies, children used free weights or resistance-training machines, anywhere from one to five times a week, for an average of 40 minutes per session. The duration of the training ranged from one month to just over a year.
Overall, it was found that the training was effective at boosting children's strength, with gains being greater among older children versus prepubertal children (typically about age 10 or younger). And, not surprisingly, a few weekly sessions worked better than one, while a longer training duration was more effective than a short one. The average strength gain varied widely among the studies, but in the majority the children improved their strength by 20 percent to 40 percent of their starting levels. Exercises involving what are known as isotonic contractions - bicep curls, squats and bench presses, for example - appeared to be most effective.
Since resistance training in children and adolescents is known to be safe and to be associated with several health benefits, children and adolescents should be generally encouraged to participate in a resistance-training programme.
But the researchers cautioned that children should only perform such exercises under the supervision of someone with professional training - as part of school physical education or an athletic training programme. If qualified supervision, age-appropriate exercise equipment, and a safe training environment are not available, teenagers should not perform resistance exercise due to the high risk of injury.
In the past there have been concerns that school-age children and teenagers might run a high risk of injuring themselves through strength training, which can be performed using free weights, exercise machines, elastic bands or the body's own resistance. However, past studies have shown that children's risk of injury from strength training is no more than that from other types of exercise or sports. Experts now say that the potential benefits of such training such as increased bone density, decreased body fat and boosting performance and curbing injury risk in sports generally outweigh any risks.
Researchers combined the results of 42 previously published studies that involved a total of 1,728 children and teenagers in Germany who were randomly assigned to perform supervised strength training or serve as a control group. They looked at age and other factors that might influence the effectiveness of strength training for children. In most of the studies, children used free weights or resistance-training machines, anywhere from one to five times a week, for an average of 40 minutes per session. The duration of the training ranged from one month to just over a year.
Overall, it was found that the training was effective at boosting children's strength, with gains being greater among older children versus prepubertal children (typically about age 10 or younger). And, not surprisingly, a few weekly sessions worked better than one, while a longer training duration was more effective than a short one. The average strength gain varied widely among the studies, but in the majority the children improved their strength by 20 percent to 40 percent of their starting levels. Exercises involving what are known as isotonic contractions - bicep curls, squats and bench presses, for example - appeared to be most effective.
Since resistance training in children and adolescents is known to be safe and to be associated with several health benefits, children and adolescents should be generally encouraged to participate in a resistance-training programme.
But the researchers cautioned that children should only perform such exercises under the supervision of someone with professional training - as part of school physical education or an athletic training programme. If qualified supervision, age-appropriate exercise equipment, and a safe training environment are not available, teenagers should not perform resistance exercise due to the high risk of injury.
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