Growing up in an active lifestyle is well known for its health benefits but less is known about its potential risks. As kids age certain structures throughout the body can become stressed, weak and dysfunctional ultimately resulting in injury – commonly written off as ‘growing pains’. These injuries can then result in long periods of time in pain and potentially stop a child from being active.
Athletic performance training can be a crucial step and combatting the negative affects of an active lifestyle on a growing body. I know this may sound strange – doing more activity can help reduce injury from being active… however having a strength and conditioning program designed specifically to that child’s needs and sporting demands can allow the structures that are typically stressed to be developed over time and be able to tolerate the demands of the child’s lifestyle before the risk of injury has even begun.
Strength and conditioning can also be a fundamental feature of a child learning how to move their body and move their body well. This not only has an affect on improving their ability to learn new skills but will also cross over for reducing the risk of injury due to poor movement patterns late in life. There have been a number of studies showing that strength and conditioning is beneficial early on in life from as early as 7- or when the child is mature enough to be able follow directions and behave safely in stimulating environments, despite old wives tales on lifting weights can stunt growth.
