Leaving a Legacy of Fitness

I grew up in a time when most kids spent their free time playing sports, riding bikes and playing tag. The rule was to come in when the streetlights came on. During the school year, we walked to the local elementary school and had recess three times a day. Now, that dynamic has changed. Whether for reasons of safety or preference, kids are no longer walking to school and are inside on electronics instead of running around outside. To add insult to injury, physical activity participation during school is dropping as districts are decreasing recess time in favor of more time focusing on core subjects.

As a result, there has been a drastic drop in children participating in regular physical activity. Studies show that participation in physical activity begins to drop around age 6 (Jacobs, 2018) – about the age children begin all-day elementary school education. Only 50-70% of youth decide to participate in afterschool sports. Of those, 70% drop out by the age of 13 (Battaglia, 2024). As the number of physically active kids drops, childhood obesity rates are rising, posture is deteriorating and mental health is declining.

Encouraging our kids to be physically active is important for so many reasons. Daily participation in moderate-to-high intensity play has so many effects on the body and minds of our children, including:

• Increased confidence.

• Body composition maintenance.

• Better bone and heart health.

• Improved cognitive function (Donnelly et. al, 2016).

• A possible positive influence on attention (Donnelly et. al, 2016).

• The stimulation of molecular and cellular components that underlie brain structure and function (Khan et. al, 2014).

• A dose-dependent enhancement of executive control tasks and math achievement despite there being no educational instruction given (Khan et. al, 2014).

• A possible improvement in behavioral control in schools.

• A lifelong love of fitness.

The current guidelines for the minimum amount of daily activity for kids 6-17 years of age are as follows (Fudge, 2022):

• 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous aerobic activity daily.

• Muscle strengthening activities 3 times a week.

• Bone strengthening activities 3 times a week.

Aerobic activity is fairly obvious. Young kids do this everyday when they chase each other around a field, go roller skating, or ride their bikes. But what types of activities strengthen our muscles and bones?

Generally speaking, any weight-bearing activity that helps kids grow up strong and powerful meets the guidelines. Activities that strengthen muscles include gymnastics, monkey bars, and climbing trees. Bone strengthening activities are more ballistic in nature and includes activities like jumping rope, hopscotch and basketball.

There is one more activity that meets both the requirements for increasing both muscle and bone strength - resistance training. Now, I'm not talking about your run-of-the-mill CrossFit class. I'm talking about a class designed specifically with the age of you child in mind - one that teaches the basics but is centered around having fun.

Now, I know what you're going to say: "But, Rebecca, isn't weightlifting dangerous for kids?"

No! Studies actually show that weightlifting can be beneficial to children as it can improve a number of physical and physiological variables, including body composition, strength and power (Pierce et. al, 2021). The key is participation in a well-supervised program that is designed with your child's age in mind. Coaches that work with children must have a thorough knowledge of weightlifting, scientific training principles, and musculoskeletal growth development to be able to properly construct an appropriate training program. Just as important is the ability to create a fun and inclusive environment that lifts the spirits of our children and builds confidence.

Together, parents and coaches can make a huge difference by promoting a healthy, active lifestyle in our kids. We decide what legacy we leave our children. By leaving a legacy of fitness, we leave a legacy of health, confidence and the ability to become whatever they want to be.

References:

• Battaglia, A., Kerr, G., & Tamminen, K. (2024). The dropout from Youth Sport Crisis: Not as simple as it appears. Kinesiology Review, 13(3), 345–356. https://doi.org/10.1123/kr.2023-0024 

• Donnelly, J. E., Hillman, C. H., Castelli, D., Etnier, J. L., Lee, S., Tomporowski, P., Lambourne, K., & Szabo-Reed, A. N. (2016). Physical Activity, Fitness, Cognitive Function, and Academic Achievement in Children: A Systematic Review. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 48(6), 1197–1222. https://doi-org.logan.idm.oclc.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000000901

• Fudge, J. (2022, August 18). Physical activity guidelines for school-age children. American College of Sports Medicine. https://acsm.org/physical-activity-guidelines-children/

• Jacobs, P.L. (ed.). (2018). NSCA’s essentials of training special populations. Human Kinetics.

• Khan, Naiman A., and Hillman, Charles H. (2014). The Relation of Childhood Physical Activity and Aerobic Fitness to Brain Function and Cognition: A Review. Pediatric Exercise Science. 2014, 26, 138-146. http://dx.doi.org/10.1123/pes.2013-0125

• Pierce, K. C., Hornsby, W. G., & Stone, M. H. (2021). Weightlifting for children and adolescents: A narrative review. Sports Health: A Multidisciplinary Approach, 14(1), 45–56. https://doi.org/10.1177/19417381211056094