Technology is taking a toll on youth fitness
Programs must be designed for a specific age group, writes Helen Vanderburg
Are your children suffering from EDD? Exercise deficient disorder. In other words, not enough physical activity to meet the minimum requirements for health. According to Health Canada, children and youth aged 5 to 17 should get at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity per day.
Currently, only 37.6 per cent of Canadian youth meet this recommendation. Children who aren’t active enough are at a higher risk of developing chronic diseases like Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and other cardiovascular illnesses. Even more alarming is that the percentage of active youth is dropping annually. Researchers for the University of Essex in the U.K. found fitness levels among schoolchildren are declining at a faster rate than ever. The least fit children that were tested from a class of 30 in 1998 would be in the group of the fittest children in a class of the same age today.
In a 2016 study comparing 38 countries, the Journal of Physical Activity and Health reported that Canada’s children and youth were given an F for sedentary behaviour, a D for overall physical activity and a D+ for active play.
Technology has taken its toll. Video games, YouTube, social media and sedentary entertainment is consuming youth behaviour. The amount of time children spend at play has decreased drastically. The Canadian 24-hour Movement Guidelines for Children and Youth recommends that accumulating at least 60 minutes per day of moderate to vigorous physical activity should involve a variety of aerobic activities and muscle and bone strengthening activities at least times per week. As well, several hours of light activity in a variety of structures and unstructured movement, sleep between 8-11 hours each night and limit sedentary behaviour to no more than two hours per day.
Encouraging young children to play is the first step toward living a healthier life. When considering getting children active in organized fitness activities there are a number of factors to consider including physiological, cognitive, emotional and mental development. Regardless of age, a child must be able to focus, follow directions, understand coaching cues and be physically proficient enough to accomplish movements in response to cues.
Human muscle innervation is complete around six to seven years of age. This means the nervous connections between the brain and muscular system is developed making coordinated activities possible. By the age of 10 to 12 years, movement motor patterns are well established and training good motor skill between these two ages is an advantage for future physical activity.
Children and youth will benefit from organized fitness activities and a well-designed program that increases motor co-ordination, strength, aerobic capacity, mobility and balance.
The key is to ensure the fitness program is specifically design for this age group. Simply taking a workout program designed for adults or an online fitness app is not appropriate for youth. Programs need to take into consideration developmental age and be well supervised for safety. The program should begin with an initial assessment of the parameters of fitness followed by a progressive program.
Workout programs need to be both safe and engaging. There are many exercises and pieces of equipment that can be used to enhance fitness. The more the variety, the better to avoid boredom, attention loss and overtraining. Changing the exercise routine will help maintain their attention and make it fun.
According to the Canadian Society of Exercise Physiologists, resistance training for children and adolescents can be relatively safe and improve overall health with proper training methods. A program that is within a child’s or adolescent’s’ capacity and involves gradual progression under a qualified personal trainer and supervision with appropriate equipment can involve advanced and intense resistance training exercises. Inexperienced and overzealous trainers can cause more harm than good.
Children of any age can benefit from organized training as long as they have the physical, mental and emotional maturity to follow a safe and effective exercise routine.