Is it good to train children's physical endurance?

Physical resistance can be improved and developed at any age, but if we do it as children, we are giving them the opportunity to go one step ahead and gain health for the future. Physical resistance will give them the possibility of coping with greater physical efforts and being able to get an extra strength.

A few years ago, teenagers and tweens were used to lifting weights, believing that this was the best way to develop their bodies and improve their physical endurance. It may have worked for some youngsters, but early weight training interferes with normal body development. Currently it is known that it is possible to practice, develop and improve the physical resistance of minors without negatively interfering with their growth and physical development, but using effort as a system of perfection and improvement.

Training resistance, a plan for the future

Improving physical resistance is much more important than is believed, and that is that the heart and myocardial fiber of children during the growth stage have a harmonious curve. At these ages, the number of myocardial fibers remains the same throughout the development stage, they are simply fibers that stretch and reach a greater thickness.

If children develop physical resistance, they manage to decrease the heart rate, the fibers of the myocardium are stretched and the cardiac cavity increases as a result of the hypertrophy that results from the growth of the child and its respective training. It may sound like a very bad thing, but it is not. What we achieve is that children increase their stroke volume, making the heart work better with better effort.

Between adults and children, there are not many differences in the cardiovascular system. If a logical and appropriate resistance training is carried out for each age, great achievements can be achieved such as inducing the positive adaptive changes of the heart that we have explained before.

Perfect age to start training

Of course, we are not going to put a 3-year-old child to run on a track, nor can a 12-year-old boy who has trained resistance be demanded the same performance as one who has not developed it. That is why we want to emphasize conscious training and respecting the capacities of each one. Excesses are counterproductive at any age and of any kind.

According to experts, the best age to start developing physical endurance in children is between 7 and 8 years old . Here come several factors to take into account, and that is that not all children are prepared at those ages to develop physical activities. We, as adults, will have to evaluate and assess whether our child’s maturity, physical and mental state is correct to start playing sports.

Children themselves tend to show some interest in sports, fitness, the need to activate the body and de-stress from 10 years of age, so we still have room for maneuver.

Let us remember that it is a resistance training and that the child must be happy and at ease, at the moment in which the minor feels displeasure, obligation, physical or mental pain and other consequences, the best thing is to cut the training or change the center or activity.

Examples of exercises

The exercises have to be adapted to their age, their physical needs and their possibilities, not all children can start running out of nowhere, hold their balance, bounce a ball, do a handstand, etc. It is important that the coach is an experienced person specialized in training with children.

Apart from playing football, basketball, swimming, running, obstacle courses and so on, there are another series of exercises that we have all played as children, but only to hang out with the neighbors’ children and not by way of training. In addition, some of them will sound familiar to us from the famous Physical Education classes, like the Cooper Test. Yes the one with the beeps.

Although these are children and we believe that they are free from injury, warming up is still vitally important and before each training session we must warm up all parts of the body.

We are going to give some examples to improve the physical resistance of children, but there are many more options that the coach will surely know and put into practice in his classes:

• Chase games.
• Jump sideways doing the scissors.
• Team games with balls.
• Orienteering races.
• Alternate running and walking.
• Continuous running for 1, 2, 3, 4 minutes and going up.
• Circuits on skates, scooters, bicycles, etc.
• Team relay races.
• Cooper test.
• Jump rope.
• Continuous scrolling at different speeds.
• Games to pick something up and drop it at a certain point.
• Dance.
• Aerobics for children.
• Gymnastics in the water.

You can also work with stretching, yoga postures, with elastic bands, using your body’s own weight, using machinery adapted to age, Pilates ball, jumping the donkey, etc.

After training it is very important to teach stretching and relaxation, as this is also part of the exercise circuit and will help calm the body and prepare it for a night’s rest.

Benefits of improving children’s physical endurance

We have already seen that it is good to develop and improve physical resistance in children and adolescents, we have also seen some examples of exercises and we know at what age we can begin to improve the life of our child. Now we just need to know why it is so good for children to play sports from a young age.

• Improve coordination.
• It favors socialization.
• Greater motor activation.
• Reduces obesity.
• Increase your aim.
• Improve reflexes.
• Improve motor skills.
• It favors neurological adaptations.
• Respiratory capacity is increased.
• Stronger and healthier bones.
• Better quality of life in the long term.
• Improves physical condition.
• Increases aerobic and anaerobic capacity.
• They gain confidence and self-assurance.