Back in the fifties,
it would have been unheard of for children to body build with
equipment almost totaling the mass of their body. Just as the
rules of courtship and corporate loyalty have shifted over the
decades, the same applies to youngsters who would like to get
physical. In recent trends, kids are opting for exercise activity
to develop muscle via weight training.
Nonetheless, the fad presents
the question of when is it safe for children to employ weight
lifting in their regimen. There is significant controversy over
the efficacy versus the hindrance in child weight lifting. In
the opinion of many physicians, premature bodybuilding my hinder
the body’s ability to develop muscles too early.
On the contrary, associate
professor and an expert in child orthopedics at University of
Texas-Southwestern Medical School, Dr. Maureen Finnegan dismisses
the idea that lifting weights may be detrimental to the physical
development in youthful children. Based on Dr. Finnegan’s expertise,
lifting weights is not harmful as long as the child lifts weight
in the appropriate form.
The risk increases when children
disengage or drop equipment and cause injure to themselves.
In Texas a fitness director of the YMCA deems weight lifting
as an exciting experience for youngsters. Fitness instructors
and trainers are endorsing weight lifting for several reasons.
Primarily with the onslaught
of obesity in children, weight training is merely another facet
of exercises. Physicians and teachers are promoting any type
of physical activity to motivate children to make fitness a
part of their daily lifestyle. With technology and video games,
many children are not socializing outdoors anymore. To incite
socialization skills, confidence and well being, weight lifting
can play a life changing role in youngsters.
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