Friday, May 1, 2009

5 Exercises Kids Should Never Do

Fitness isn't just a fad; it's a way of life. Sooner or later, your kids will want to make it a part of their lives, too -- if they're not too turned off by their gym classes, that is -- and you should encourage them be as active as possible. However, not all exercise is good exercise when it comes to kids. 

Jordan Metzl, M.D., a pediatric sports medicine physician at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, explains that kids go through rapid physical changes between the ages of 8 and 12. For girls, a growth spurt will occur usually around the age of 8 or 9, and boys will encounter the changes around the age of 11 or 12. "During this sort of adolescent growth and development," says Metzl, "kids' bones are growing a lot faster than their muscles." Because of this phenomenon, kids lose flexibility as they grow, says Metzl, because the rapid growth puts pressure on their tendons. 

No comments:

Post a Comment