Children’s Fitness

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, one of the top fitness trends of next year will be for trainers to work with children under the age of 14. There are many reasons for this: childhood obesity, sports training, etc… This trend coincides with a common question parents ask me regarding youth athletics and training in specific:

At what age should children begin lifting weights and working out?

Before the age of 13, children’s bodies are still developing, and therefore, heavy strength training is generally not a good idea. Additionally, a pre-adolescentchild is still growing at a rapid pace to get ready for their teenage and adult figure. It is unnecessary to place undue strain on this natural occurrence as well.

However, I do believe that a child who is resistant to all other forms of exercise but displays a willingness to “hit the gym” can be introduced to a strength program slowly butonly with professional guidance. There also may be some elite level athletes at a young age where some light strength work may be beneficial. However, sessions should be brief, no longer than 30 minutes. Safety is always first and foremost. And never have a child lift to fatigue, or anywhere near it. It is safer to fatigue with non-weight bearing exercises such as lunges or push ups. These sessions should be more about learning form, technique, dexterity, and confidence than about sculpting musculature.

On top of this, I firmly believe in cross training for everyone, of any age! I am firmly against anyone, ESPECIALLY children, spending 5-6 days per week focusing on a single sport or activity. This leads to burnout, boredom, overuse injuries, and distaste for sports. While it may become necessary for some top end athletes at a certain age to concentrate on their sport of choice, it should never become all consuming. Research proves that cross-training, or in kids’ terms, playing other sports (even recreationally) is much more beneficial than focusing on one talent alone.

To put this in perspective, take a 12 year old pitcher. If all he/she does year round is pitch, certain muscles will be put through the constant strain of throw a baseball. Others that can round out an athlete’s body will be completely ignored. So while some muscles are being unduly strained, some are being ignored that may actually help a pitcher. If this same pitcher plays soccer in the off-season, his/hers legs will develop at a faster rate (which is a huge benefit for a pitcher) while the rotator cuff and elbow get a needed break. Best of all, the athlete’s mind gets a break from baseball!

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• Tip of the Month

  August 2010

  Alcohol Eats Away at Muscle Mass

   If increasing muscle mass is one of your goals, then think twice before you go out for a night of heavy drinking. Consuming alcohol in large quantities has a direct effect on your metabolism, causing fat to be stored instead of being utilized as an energy source. Alcohol contains seven “empty” calories per gram, meaning that these calories don’t provide you with any of the essential nutrients you need to build that muscle mass you desire.

  Effects of Excessive Alcohol Consumption on Your Body
  Muscles—Reduces blood flow to the muscles, causing weakness and deterioration
  Hormones—Reduces testosterone in your blood and increases conversion of testosterone to estrogen, causing increased fat depositing and fluid retention
  Liver—Creates imbalances that can cause hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), fatty liver and hyperlipidemia (build-up of fats in the bloodstream)
  Brain—Cuts off the supply of oxygen to the brain, resulting in a “blackout” caused by a lack of oxygen supply to the brain that can kill tens of thousands of brain cells

  Effects of Excessive Alcohol Consumption on Physical Performance
  Alcohol is a known depressant that suppresses the brain’s ability to function. Even though you may feel a “high” after several cocktails, the truth is that your reaction time, accuracy, balance, hand-eye coordination and endurance all decrease dramatically. Furthermore, the after-effects of a night of excessive drinking can be detrimental to your fitness goals. Alcohol is a diuretic that may result in dehydration. This dehydration is known to decrease physical performance, so that previous night of drinking will continue to affect you the following day.

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• Recipe of the Month

  August 2010

  Pepperoni Pizza

   

  Pepperoni pizza gets a healthful makeover with whole-wheat pizza dough and a flavorful tomato sauce that, thanks to the addition of pumpkin puree, provides extra beta carotene and fiber. We’ve topped the pie with low-fat turkey pepperoni, but if you like, use your favorite sliced vegetables instead.

   

  INGREDIENTS

  1 pound prepared whole-wheat pizza dough, (see Shopping Tip), thawed if frozen

  1 cup canned unseasoned pumpkin puree

  1/2 cup no-salt-added tomato sauce

  1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

  1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

  1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

  2 ounces sliced turkey pepperoni, (1/2 cup)

   

  COOKING DIRECTIONS

  Step 1- Place oven rack in the lowest position; preheat to 450°F. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

  Step 2- Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to the size of the baking sheet. Transfer to the baking sheet. Bake until puffed and lightly crisped on the bottom, 8 to 10 minutes.

  Step 3- Whisk pumpkin puree, tomato sauce and garlic powder in a small bowl until combined.

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