Kids and Sports
Learning a sport can be tremendous fun for a child. It can also help them build a strong foundation for fitness for the rest of their life. It is challenging to get children off the couch and onto the playing field. There are many ways to encourage a child to perform better that help their performance as well as ensure their safety. Children are naturally competitive so you do not need to push their competitive spirit. You do need to protect their growing bodies and their fragile egos.
One way to protect their growing bodies is to ensure they are in condition for their sport of choice. If your child is inactive, they will need to work on their conditioning before they begin their sport. if your child is overweight, it places additional pressure on their growing bodies making the potential for injury on the playing field even greater. Excess weight and lack of conditioning can dramatically affect a child’s self-esteem. No kid wants to be labeled the “slow kid†or the “fat kidâ€.
Before starting a sports program, your child should see a doctor for a physical. This will ensure that your child is healthy enough for the sport. It will also point out any medical issues that may limit the child’s ability to perform their sport of choice in a healthy manner that makes them truly happy.
Another thing you can do to help your child be successful in sports is to ensure they are in condition for their sport of choice. A certified trainer can perform a posture and movement analysis which will indicate if your child has any weak or tight muscles that may increase their chance of injury. Some sports specific training can obviously improve your child’s performance. More importantly though, it can help to ensure that your child is fit and has strength and stability in key muscles that are required for their specific sport. The training principles laid out by the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) stress muscle stability before strength and strength before power. It is like the building blocks of success. Muscle stability is the foundation for strength and power. It helps prevent injury and allows a child to progress in a safe manner.
For more information on Sports Specific Training, call me at Gold’s Gym at 770-949-1116 or visit my website at www.4fitbodies.com. If it has been a while since you have seen the doctor and want to start an exercise program, get a physical. West Atlanta Internal Medicine (770-942-6903) can give you a comprehensive physical and advise you on any medical issues you may have.
