Strength Training for Kids

One question i often get asked as a personal trainer in Bury St Edmunds is is it safe for kids to lift weights? To which my answer is always…’hell yeah!’

Its a common misconception that strength training in children will stunt a child’s growth, cause injuries on their developing bodies, over stress it etc etc. When in fact the opposite is true when done safely with a trained professional. Kids in primary school can safely lift weights to promote health and build strength. Its good for them. And there’s a new study to prove this.

The clever folks at the University of Edinburgh analysed 542 young people across 11 countries. Helen Collins, a sport and Exercise scientist who took part in the study said, “The finding that resistance training has a positive impact on fundamental movement skill development suggests that children could improve how well they can move by taking part in this mode of exercise. This could ultimately have an effect on physical activity levels, which is crucial for sustaining and promoting good health in childhood and later life.”

Strength training such as squats, leg press and dead lifts is a fundamental part of this. These exercises enhance muscle strength at a young age and those who dont do it as children may not be able to participate in a variety of activities and sports as they get older.

As a qualified Kids exercise coach i know all this too well and its something we aim to address with the launch of our Kids Boot camp on 27th July. As well as the usual fun and games associated with the adults Boot camp, we will be teaching the Kids how to do strength training safely, introducing them to new exercises such as squats and progressing them over the weeks.

If you haven’t already contact us soon to book your child a place…..