You lift weights to be strong and fit — and now your kid wants to do it, too. Is that safe?
Probably — but, as with much in parenting, it depends. With proper supervision, children as young as 7 or 8 can start strength training with resistance bands, free weights or certain machines, according to Mayo Clinic. A child’s readiness also depends on how well they can listen to and follow instructions, says Dr. Eva Seligman, a pediatric emergency medicine and sports medicine specialist at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center.
“Over the past 10 to 15 years, there’s been a growing understanding that resistance training is probably OK for kids, if done safely,” Seligman tells TODAY.com. “The opportunities to work and train a variety of muscle groups may be highly beneficial, both in injury prevention and overall health and wellness.”
What to know about kids working out
While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that weight lifting is not necessary for children, it recommends “muscle-strengthening” activities like push-ups, at least three days a week, adding, “As children grow older and become adolescents, they may start structured weightlifting programs.”
A 202O clinical report published by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) tackled misconceptions about kids and resistance training.
The report says that “well-designed resistance training programs” don’t harm children’s height, heart health or growth plates (bone cartilage). What’s more, “Injury rates in youth resistance training settings that adhere to qualified supervision and proper technique are lower than those occurring in other sports or general recess play at school.”
Here’s what to know if your kid wants to pump iron.
1. Understand your child’s goals
It’s likely that your child is interested in “resistance training,” which the AAP notes is similar to “strength training.” That means using gym equipment or one’s own body weight, at various resistance levels, to get stronger.
“Resistance training” is different than “weight lifting,” which the AAP defines as having, “the specific goal of increasing muscle size, symmetry, and definition,” and “power lifting,” which is a professional competitive sport.
“Parents should be reflective with their kids to understand their goals and why they want to join a gym,” says Seligman.
Does your kid want to get stronger, increase energy, train to become better at a particular sport — or, look like an Instagram model? Kids don’t usually have ripped abs, so adjust expectations accordingly.
“Before puberty, someone can get stronger from doing resistance training … but the muscles are not going to bulk up and develop aesthetically the way they do after puberty,” says Seligman.
The onset of puberty (sexual maturity) is different for boys and girls, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. For boys, it’s typically between ages 9 and 14; for girls, it’s typically between ages 8 and 13.
2. Learn how kids can use weights safely
It’s never a bad idea to check with a pediatrician before introducing your child to a resistance-training routine.
Also know that gyms have different membership policies regarding minors. Crunch Fitness, for example, allows each gym to make its own age requirement, while many YMCA facilities offer family memberships. Many gyms require adult members to supervise minors at all times.
Seligman says kids who use weights should understand how to execute a move with correct form, not just mimic it.
“I could show my 3-year-old the motion of a bicep curl and she could probably do it — but not reliably follow instructions for what to do with weights or when to start and stop,” says Seligman. While each child is different, she says, sometime between the ages of 5 and 7 kids are ready for organized sports, where they are expected to follow instruction.
According to the AAP, injury rates for kids are lower when they are supervised by qualified adults. Seligman says children should work out under the guidance of someone with a professional coaching certification from an organization like the National Strength and Conditioning Association.
Not everyone can afford a personal trainer; some gyms offer one-time training sessions, otherwise, learn to spot your child to make sure their form is proper and they don’t overexert themselves.
“If it looks like they are really straining or seem to be in a lot of pain or starting to contort or move their bodies in ways to lift the weight, that’s too much,” says Seligman.
During a bicep curl, Seligman explains, just the arms should be moving. “If the back, head or neck is moving with it, then the child is using more than just their biceps and then we start to see injuries,” she says.
The Mayo Clinic recommends that kids don’t skip the warm-up and cool-down portions of a workout, use light “adult-sized” weights while aiming for one or two sets of “8 to 12 repetitions” and rest between sets.
3. Keep an eye on gym obsession
Talk to your child to make sure their goals remain health and fitness — not aesthetics.
While girls and boys can both get eating disorders and exercise addiction, boys are particularly at risk for “muscle dysmorphia.” According to Harvard University, it’s a “preoccupation with a muscular and lean physique,” like the sorts they may see on social media images and on buff superheroes.
“About 60% of young boys in the United States mention changing their diet to become more muscular,” Dr. Gabriela Vargas, director of Boston Children’s Hospital’s Young Men’s Health website, told Harvard Health Blog. “While that may not meet the diagnostic criteria of muscle dysmorphia disorder, it’s impacting a lot of young men.”
According to Vargas, signs of muscle dysmorphia among boys include dedicating more and more time to exercise, setting strict diet and exercise routines, skipping leisure activities to work out and “obsessively” taking photos to track physical progress.
If you don’t want your kid in the gym, they can still resistance train without “working out.”