• Question: Is it bad for you if you go to the gym at a young age?

    Asked by maciej to Alison, Artem, Caroline, John, Gunther on 19 Jun 2012.
    • Photo: Artem Evdokimov

      Artem Evdokimov answered on 19 Jun 2012:

      It depends on what you do in the gym. Regular and moderated cardio exercise for example seems to be pretty safe for all ages – on the other hand weight lifting at very young age can have some negative consequences (injury due to lack of experience or poor motor control, mostly) which is why government’s health agencies tend to have a supportive (caution advised) outlook at strength training for adolescents.

      http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/121/4/835.full

      Again, it seems that the biggest risk lies not in the training methods as such but in the attitude. There are some specific medical conditions that make strength training difficult/unsafe for children (chemotherapy for example). I would say that each person who is considering heavy physical activity should make their own mind and ideally talk to a physician or a health specialist certified to give advice of this sort – I certainly do not qualify 🙂

    • Photo: John Short

      John Short answered on 19 Jun 2012:

      To add to Artem’s comment:
      You have go to be careful when Strength training and not weightlifting

      For kids, light resistance and controlled movements are best — with a special emphasis on proper technique and safety. Children can do many strength training exercises with his or her own body weight or inexpensive resistance tubing. Free weights and machine weights are other options.

      Don’t confuse strength training with weightlifting, bodybuilding or powerlifting. These activities are largely driven by competition, with participants vying to lift heavier weights or build bigger muscles than those of other athletes. This 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.

      However, many gyms have special sessions for young people – and being supervised or taught how to use the machines properly is a must.

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