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While you might have heard horror stories of young people injuring themselves by working out in the gym before they are physically ready, experts say that strength training, when properly done, can benefit children.

“Done properly, [strength training] offers many benefits to young athletes. Strength training is even a good idea for kids who simply want to look and feel better. In fact, this form of exercise might put your child on a lifetime path to better health and fitness,” says the Mayo Clinic staff.

Dr. Paul R. Stricker says the 'Old Wives’ Tale' that strength training would 'stunt your growth' doesn’t hold true, but that there are still some dangers, especially when youngsters attempt to use gym equipment unsupervised.

“Strength training must be approached with caution and respect,” says Dr. Stricker.

The folks at LiveStrong say that keeping children away from the gym is not the answer, but the key is that the type of activity they do at the gym will depend on their age and physical maturity.

“Children need exercise just as much as adults, so it's appropriate for them to go to the gym from about the age of 2 onward,” writes Brenda Scottsdale for LiveStrong. “The Center for Disease Control and Prevention, recommends children get at least one hour of exercise every day. Benefits of regular exercise for children include controlling stress, raising self-esteem, maintaining a healthy weight, building a healthy body, and improved sleep.”

Strength Training vs. Bodybuilding or Weightlifting or Powerlifting

It is important to define “strength training” vs. “bodybuilding” or “weightlifting” or “powerlifting”.

When we talk about strength training for children, we are not talking about creating mini Arnold Schwarzenegger’s pumping iron!

“Don't confuse strength training with weightlifting, bodybuilding, or powerlifting,” says the Mayo Clinic Staff. “Trying to build big muscles can put too much strain on young muscles, tendons, and areas of cartilage that haven't yet turned to bone (growth plates) — especially when proper technique is sacrificed in favor of lifting larger amounts of weight.”

Dr. Stricker warns that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that explosive types of lifts or heavy Olympic-style lifting should be delayed until the skeleton matures after the growth spurt. He says starting to “lift weights” too early can lead to injuries such as:

• Herniated disks in the back
  
  
• Muscles strains and tears
  
  
• Bone fractures
  
  
• Growth plate injuries
  
  
• Cartilage damage

Strength training before maturity can feature activities that do not require heavy weights or weights of any kind.

“Your child can do many strength training exercises with his or her own body weight or inexpensive resistance tubing,” says The Mayo Clinic staff.

LiveStrong says it will not be until the teen years that children can start exercising in a manner that more closely resembles the strength training regimes of adults.

“If your child expresses an interest in strength training, remind him or her that strength training is meant to increase muscle strength and endurance,” says The Mayo Clinic staff. “Bulking up is something else entirely — and most safely done after adolescence, when your child's bones have finished growing.”

The Benefits of Strength Training for Children

What are the benefits of strength training for children?

The Mayo Clinic staff says strength training can:

• Increase your child's muscle strength and endurance
  
  
• Strengthen your child's bones
  
  
• Help promote healthy blood pressure and cholesterol levels
  
  
• Help your child maintain a healthy weight
  
  
• Improve your child's confidence and self-esteem
  
  
• Help protect your child's muscles and joints from sports-related injuries
  
  
• Help improve your child's performance in nearly any sport, from dancing and figure skating to football and soccer
  
  
• Develop proper techniques that your child can continue to use as he or she grows older

Remember, your child does not have to be an athlete to reap the benefits of strength training, but it can lead to dividends as they hit the school playground.

“Outside the realm of unsupervised home gym equipment, proper strength training has been shown to allow an increase in strength with fewer injuries than occur during recess at school,” says Dr. Stricker.

Children at the Gym or Park: Activities by Age

The Mayo Clinic staff say that when children are mature enough to follow directions and practice proper technique and form, they can start strength training as early as ages 7 or 8.

In Scottsdale’s article, she breaks down activities children can do at the gym or park by age as follows:

• Ages 2 to 3: Toddlers can improve their motor skills with activities such as running, jumping, skipping, and throwing. For organized exercise classes at this age, fun should be the primary goal vs. structure. Toddlers may also enjoy group activities such as yoga, tumbling, and swimming.
• Ages 4 to 5: Gym can become more complex as children develop their motor skills, and improve their coordination and balance. Many children join T-Ball and soccer leagues at this age. The emphasis should still be on fun and creativity.
• Ages 6 to 12: The menu of activities expands as children can participate in rock climbing, softball, baseball, basketball, horseback riding, and other activities which can help develop strength.
• Ages 13-18: This could be the age when it is appropriate for children to begin some weightlifting after they begin puberty. It is always advised to check with your children’s doctor before starting any sort of strength training program. At this age, activities can expand to sports for older children such as football.

Strength Training for Children: Where to Start

So, if you are sold on the idea of strength training for your child, where do you start?

First, remember, that just taking an adult-oriented strength training program and scaling it down for your child is not the right thing to do. They need strength programs tailored to their age and physical maturity.

The Mayo Clinic staff recommends that if parents keep the following in mind, they will be on the right path:

• Do not just rely on your gut instincts of what to have your children do but consult a professional such as a coach or personal trainer at your local gym who has experience in strength training with children.
  
  
• Consider enrolling your child in a class designed to help with strength training.
  
  
• Teach your child the importance of warming up and cooling down. Warm up muscles before any strength training with 5 to 10 minutes of light aerobic activity such as walking or jogging in place and do some gentle stretching after each session as a cool down.
  
  
• Remember that resistance does not have to come from weights but can come from resistance tubing or bands, and body-weight exercises such as pushups.
  
  
• Always emphasize proper technique and form.
  
  
• When physically able to start working with weights, emphasize repetitions to build strength before vs. adding more weight.
  
  
• Children always need to be supervised during any type of strength training.
  
  
• Rest between workouts with at least one full day off between exercising each specific muscle group.
  
  
• Keep it fun! Your children will embrace strength training and other healthy activities if they enjoy doing them.

“Results won't come overnight. Eventually, however, your child will notice a difference in muscle strength and endurance,” concludes the Mayo Clinic staff.