Strength and Core Stability - Handout

Transcription

1 Strength and Core Stability - Handout The National Physical Activity Guidelines for Australians are simple to achieve by focusing on: Thinking of movement as an opportunity, not an inconvenience. Being active every day in as many ways as you can. Putting together at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on most, preferably all, days. Children need even more than this. We should encourage and support them to do at least an hour of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity each day. We should all enjoy some regular, vigorous exercise for extra health and fitness, as long as we re healthy enough to do so. The benefits of strength training include: 1. Increased metabolic rate - which helps with the achievement or maintenance of a healthy body weight 2. Increasing bone density By 2020, 1 in 4 Australian hospital beds is predicted to be taken up by someone with a fracture resulting from osteoporosis. Studies have clearly proven that consistent strength training can increase bone density and prevent osteoporosis. 3. Increased lean muscle mass, strength, speed and power all of which significantly improve sports performance 4. Injury Prevention - A wide variety of sports-related or life-related injuries can be prevented by strengthening muscles and joints, and improving posture. 5. Injury Rehabilitation and Recovery - One of the best ways to heal many types of injuries is to strengthen muscles surrounding the injured area. The stronger your muscles, the quicker the healing process. 6. Improved Balance, Flexibility, Mobility and Stability - Stronger and more resilient muscles improves our balance, which means more comfortable living & fewer falls or accidents. 7. Improved ability to perform the specific skills involved in your sport or daily activities. 8. Reduced blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels which will reduce your risk of conditions such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes. 9. Improved mental wellness (and reduced risk of depression). 10. Aging Gracefully - There is no more important reason to making a strength training a consistent part of your life, than to ensure you age gracefully. Physical activity keeps us alive and vibrant. Strength

2 training ensures we are strong enough to participate in aerobic activities, outdoor recreation, and sports. Strong seniors fall down less. If they do fall down, their stronger bodies are more resilient, are injured less by the fall, and are able to heal more quickly after an injury. 11. Feeling Better and Looking Better - As painful as strength training can sometimes feel, there is nothing more satisfying than the feeling after a good solid work-out. Stronger muscles and joints can have a dramatic impact on posture and leaner toned muscles tend to make everyone feel better about their appearance. This all leads to improved self-esteem and increased self-confidence. At what age should kids start strength training? Appropriate strength-training programs have no apparent adverse effect on linear growth, growth plates, or the cardiovascular system. Hence, despite earlier concerns regarding the safety and efficacy of youth strength training, current public health objectives now aim to increase the number of boys and girls age 6 and older who regularly participate in physical activities that enhance and maintain muscular fitness. Generally speaking, if 6 to 8 year old children are ready for participation in organized sports or activities (e.g. little athletics or gymnastics), then they are ready for some type of strength training. Regular participation in a youth strength-training program has the potential to increase bone mineral density, improve motor performance skills, enhance sports performance, and better prepare our young athletes for the demands of practice and competition. Parents, teachers, coaches, and healthcare providers should realize that youth strength training is a specialized method of conditioning that can offer enormous benefit but at the same time can result in serious injury if established guidelines are not followed. With qualified instruction, competent supervision, and an appropriate progression of the volume and intensity of training, children and adolescents cannot only learn advanced strength training exercises but can feel good about their performances, and have fun. Adult strength training guidelines and training philosophies are inappropriate for children. When designing strength training programs for children it is important to remember that children are anatomically, physiologically, and psychologically immature. Although all participants should understand the risks and benefits of strength training, a young child should not be expected to comprehend the intricacies of muscle action. Furthermore, most strengthtraining machines and gymnasium equipment are designed for adult sizes and have weight increments that are too large for young children. Free weights require better balance control and technique but are small and portable, provide small weight increments, and can be used for strengthening

3 sports-specific movements. It is important though to start with just body weight exercises and to progress from there. The most important thing by far is to provide a stimulating program that helps the children develop a positive attitude towards strength training and a healthy lifestyle. Strength training for kids - guidelines Before starting strength training 1. If the individual has any medical conditions (e.g. diabetes, pregnancy or heart disease), health risks (e.g. high blood pressure, high cholesterol or dizziness) or injuries, it is important to have a medical check-up before commencing a new training program. Also make sure to let participants know to refrain from any exercise if it causes pain, as you don t want to stir up any previous injuries. 2. Proper technique and strict supervision are mandatory for safety reasons and to reduce the risk for injury. Proper supervision is defined as an instructor-to-student ratio no more than 1:10 and an approved strength-training certification. N.B. This program is designed to give you an introduction to the topic of strength and core stability training, but does not certify you as a trainer. We do however have links to available in-person and online fitness trainer accreditation courses. If you would like to find out more about the available fitness trainer accreditation courses, simply call or us today (07) or info@completeperformancesolutions.com 3. Let the children and their parents know that strength training is only a small part of an overall fitness or sports program, and ensure that they are also doing fitness and sport-specific sessions. Organising the sessions 1. Ensure the sessions are fun. Remember that children should feel comfortable with the program and should look forward to the next workout. 2. Ensure that the training environment is free of hazards. Be aware of the exploratory nature of children and remove or disassemble any broken equipment from the exercise room before classes start. 3. The exercise room should be well lit and adequately ventilated. Since children are more prone to heat illness than adults, encouraged them to drink water even if they are not thirsty. 4. Children learn best by doing. When teaching a new exercise to a child, have the child perform the exercise under your watchful eye.

4 5. For achievement of gains in strength, workouts need to be at least 20 to 30 minutes long, take place 2 to 3 times per week, and continue to add weight or repetitions as strength improves. However, strength training more than four times per week seems to have no additional benefit and may increase the risk for an overuse injury. 6. Ensure 10- to 15-minute warm-up and cool-down periods involving a low-to-moderate intensity cardiovascular activity (e.g. skipping or jogging) and stretching of each of the muscles used in the training session. Hold each stretch for 30 to 60 seconds to achieve true flexibility benefits. 7. Exercises should include all muscle groups, including the muscles of the core, and should be performed through the full range of motion at each joint. Session intensity and progressions 1. Begin with low-resistance exercises, and a slow movement speed, until proper technique is perfected. 2. Begin with 1 set of 8 to 15 repetitions on 6 to 8 exercises that focus on the major muscle groups of the upper and lower body. 3. Start with a relatively light weight and high number of repetitions, and increase the load and decrease the reps as strength improves. 4. When 15 repetitions of an exercise can be performed with perfect technique and posture, progress the difficulty of that exercise. Progression is best achieved by increasing the number of sets (up to 3) or the number of exercises (from 6-8 up to a maximum of 10-12). To increase strength, progress the difficulty by adding weight (if the particular exercise involves weights) in 10% increments. To increase muscle endurance, progress the difficulty by increasing the number of repetitions progressively to 20, 25, 30 and so on. 5. Avoid maximal lifting until the athlete has several years of strength training behind them; has perfected their technique; is training specifically for a sport for which maximal strength is important; and has sought assessment and advice from an experienced strength and conditioning coach. Nutrition and supplements 1. Discourage the use of any performance-enhancing substances, as not enough is known yet about the effects of supplements on children or adolescents or on the long term effects of supplements. If an athlete, child or parent asks you about supplements, provide them with information regarding the potential risks and health consequences. Also let them know that having a healthy balanced diet and proper

5 recovery snacks (carbohydrates, protein and fluid) after each session is a much safer option and will produce significantly better results than any supplement will. Encourage them to organize a nutrition consultation and individualized meal plan experienced sports dietitian. N.B. Our experienced Sports Dietitians provide this service over the phone and for athletes of all levels in regional and rural areas throughout Australia. To arrange a sports nutrition consultation for one of your athletes, children or students, simply call or us today (07) or info@completeperformancesolutions.com Have fun with it! Fun yet highly effective strength-building activities include: Chin-up competitions Playing on the monkey bars Jumping competitions Hopping races Wheelbarrow races Tug of war competitions Races through waist deep water at the beach or pool Be creative and have plenty of fun with incorporating these types of activities into your training sessions, and you ll be amazed at the results you achieve. References Australian Government. Department of Health and Aging National physical activity guidelines for Australians. Strength training by children and adolescents. Pediatrics Vol. 121 No. 4 April 2008, pp Strength training for kids. Elizabeth Quinn Strength training for children and adolescents. Clin Sports Med. Faigenbaum AD Oct;19(4): Disclaimer This material is made available on the understanding that readers exercise their own skill and care with respect to its use. Before relying on the material in any important matter, readers should carefully evaluate the accuracy, completeness and relevance of the information, and should obtain appropriate professional advice relevant to their particular circumstances. Complete Performance Solutions All rights reserved.