Chapter 19 Exercise Guidelines for Children and Adolescence

1. Chapter 19Exercise Guidelines for Children and Adolescence Jacalyn J. Robert-McComb, PhD, FACSM Texas Tech Chelsea Barker, MS, NASM-CPT Texas Tech, Physical Therapy Today Exercise Center Lubbock, Texas

2. Learning Objectives • Discuss activity levels of children and the difference between physical activity and exercise • Describe effective methods to approach exercise with children • Highlight characteristics unique to children’s exercise capacity • Present recommendations for cardiovascular training with children • Present guidelines for resistance training with children

3. Activity Levels of American Children • Data indicates that as little as 27% of children engage in moderate activity for 30 minutes on 5 or more days per week (http://www.healthypeople.gov/, accessed May 21, 2006). • Furthermore, there seems to be a significant decline in activity level with each year of age (A Report of the Surgeon General, 1999).

4. Physical Activity vs. Exercise • Physical activity is defined as simply moving the body when performing different activities such as those required in daily living. • Exercise is defined as purposeful and planned movements performed for a specific training goal. • Emphasis should be on physical activity with younger children that gradually transitions to exercise with age.

5. Effective Methods to Increase Physical Activity for Children • The focus of activity for children should be on making exercise fun! • Younger children’s exercise should be incorporate games and activities of daily living. • It is especially important to make activity fun for girls since girls show an even greater decline in activity levels as they age.

6. Children’s Unique Exercise Capacity Characteristics • Generally, the relative VO2 max (ml.kg.min is higher for individuals when they are children than that at any other point in life. • While adults can train to increase their VO2 max, there is no evidence that children’s VO2 max can be increased to the same degree through training. • Children also show a decreased capacity to utilize the anaerobic system when compared to adolescents and adults.

7. National Association forSport and Physical Education Recommendations for Cardiovascular Endurance (ages 5-12) • Accumulate at least 60 minutes of activity but no more than 2 hours a day on most, if not all days of the week. • More than 60 minutes, and up to 2 hours encouraged. • Exercise should come in the form of intermittent bouts approximately 15 minutes in length that are both moderate and vigorous activities. • 10-15 minute bouts of vigorous activity is recommended for children over the age of 13 • Brief periods of rest need to be included between bouts of exercise or activity

8. American College of Sports MedicineRecommendations for Cardiovascular Endurance • Moderate levels of physical activity totaling 30-60 minutes a day on most days of the week. • Rest and recovery periods need to be included between bouts of exercise. • For older children, 20-30 minute bouts of vigorous activity should occur 3 times per week. • For weight loss, activity time should total 30-60 minutes a day 6-7 days per week.

9. Resistance Training with Children • Focus should be on maintaining proper form. • Strength will increase through neural adaptations however, children lack the ability to gain hypertrophy from resistance training. • Maximal lifts or explosive type lifts should not be performed with children.

11. In Summary, Exercise Should be Encouraged for Children • Benefits of Exercise for Children: • establish healthy habits early in life; • weight bearing activity helps proper bone growth and development; • develop healthy and strong muscles; and • activity stimulates growth hormone production.