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1 Obesity and Resistance Training 1 Resistance Training for Obese Children and Adolescents Foundations of Human Performance Jenny Suing

2 Obesity and Resistance Training 2 Obesity has been becoming a big issue over last few of years. One of the biggest concerns is the obesity rate of children and adolescence. Young children are bigger than they ever have been in the past. With the number of obese and overweight children/adolescents rising, approximately percent according to the AACAP, ideas have stemmed on how to resolve this obesity epidemic. The way people eat, think, and exercise is to being changed. According to (WebMD) obesity is an excess amount of body fat. The BMI (body mass index) scale is the most common way to measure this. If a person s BMI is 30 or higher they are then considered obese. Obesity is measure a little bit differently in children and adolescents. According to the Research Digest (Sept. 2007), children and adolescents are considered obese if their BMI is greater than or equal to the 95th percentile of that particular age (p.1) Research Digest (Sept. 2007), stated that children and adolescents who are obese are at high risk for becoming an obese adult. This will ultimately result in a shorter life expectancy due to health risks including, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer. With these types of risks it is essential that something be done to help treat this obesity epidemic. So, why the increase in obesity among children and adolescents? Inactivity! Over the years children and adolescents have become very inactive compared to the past. There are several factors that contribute to this. The Stanford University Medical Center found that some of the contributing factors include: lack of opportunity or available space to play, poor attitude, lack of knowledge of importance of physical activity, safety concerns, and increase in technology (p. 18) The school setting is one of the main

3 Obesity and Resistance Training 3 sources contributing to inactivity. Fewer physical education classes are being offered and the ones that are offered simply do not provide enough activity for children and adolescence (p. 18) Another huge factor that is contributing to the obesity epidemic is the increase in technology. Children are spending more time sitting than ever before. More time is spend watching T.V., playing video games, sitting in from of the computer, and using other technologies that require no physical activity (p. 33) These things never used to be such a big problem. Children would go outside and play and get plenty of needed activity. With children and adolescents getting less activity than ever and the obesity rate rising, workout programs for the obese have started to be developed. According to the Research Digest (Sept. 2007), resistance training has been found to be the thing that works for children and adolescents (p. 2) The Research Digest (Sept. 2007) has found that the youth finds long periods of aerobic exercise to be boring and discomforting p. 2) Resistance training provides a quick and rewarding work out. According to e-medicine health, Resistance training is any exercise that causes the muscles to contract against an external resistance with the expectation of increases in strength, tone, mass, and/or endurance. (p. 1) Any object or even ones own body mass can be used to do resistance training. If it causes a muscle contraction, it is considered resistance training (p. 1) Resistance training causes small tears in the muscle cells. The body then quickly repairs them to become bigger and stronger (p. 2) The Research Digest (Sept. 2007) has found that resistance training if safe an effective for all age groups to use (p. 1) Children and adolescents also seem to really enjoy it. Resistance training provides a short burst of activity followed to a brief rest time. This

4 Obesity and Resistance Training 4 very much resembles how kids play. They don t feel bored doing it and gain confidence when they notice results (p. 2) According to The Research Digest (Sept. 2007) some other positive things with resistance training in the youth is that it has shown to positively influence bone mineral density, cardiorespiratory fitness, blood lipids, and psychosocial well-being. (p. 2) It has also been shown that resistance training result in changes in the amount of fat composition compared to lean tissue in obese children (p. 2) There are several other benefits that obese children and adolescents gain from resistance training. These include: increase in muscle strength, local muscular endurance, bone mineral density, cardiorespiratory fitness, improved neuromuscular control, blood lipid profile, body compositing, an enhance of psychosocial well-being and also stimulates a more positive attitude towards lifetime physical activity (p. 2) There are some considerations that one must consider when advising or leading a resistance training session for children or adolescents. The Research Digest (Sept. 2007) stated that the first thing one should consider is that children who are obese may need a boost in their confidence. So designing a program that includes positive feedback and involves progression. No scenario should be presented where the child can fail. Kids should also receive information and knowledge about what they are doing and how to do it correctly to avoid unnecessary injury. They should also have a supervisor to make sure things are being done correctly and also to promote positive feedback (p. 3) Considerations of an individuals age and body composition must also be taken into account. Individuals will have different strengths and weaknesses that will either

5 Obesity and Resistance Training 5 limit or benefit them in particular activities (p. 4) Those with less physical ability and strength should start out at lower weight and a shorter workout out so they do not have the opportunity to fail, they can only progress. Those with higher ability should be challenged to to prevent boredom and to also ensure they will benefit from the workout. Specificity of an individuals workout with also help prevent injury (p. 3) According to The Research Digest (Sept. 2007) there are many guidelines and considerations one should follow when actually designing a resistance training program for obese children and adolescents (p. 4) The program should be sure to include a choice in exercises, order of exercises, training intensity, training volume (reps/sets), rest intervals, repetition velocity and training frequency. (p.4) Some general guidelines should also be considered. These would include: provide qualified instruction and supervision, ensure the exercise environment is safe and free of hazards, begin each session with a 5 to 10 minute dynamic warm-up period, start with one light to moderate set of 10 to 15 repetitions on a variety of exercise, progress to 2 to 3 sets of 6 to 15 repetitions depending on needs and goals, increase the resistance gradually as strength improves, focus on the correct exercise technique instead of he amount of weight lifted, cool down with low intensity activities and static stretching, resistance train 2 to 3 times per week on nonconsecutive days, and keep the program fresh and challenging by systemically varying the training program. (p. 4) Even though the obesity rate is going up, there are ways to help solve this epidemic. If children and adolescents become knowledgeable about foods they put into their bodies and also learn the proper way to get exercise, then our society can take steps toward ending obesity in children as well as adults.

6 Obesity and Resistance Training 6 References WebMD, Weight loss and Diet Pans-Obesity. 1-2 President s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, (Sept. 2007). Resistance Training! for Obese Children and Adolescents, 1-4.

7 Obesity and Resistance Training 7 American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, (March 2011). Obesity in! Children and Teens.! Stanford University Medical Center, (February 2007). Building Generation Play : Addressing the Crisis of Inactivity Among America's Children 18, 33 e-medicine health. Resistance Training 1-4!

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