Children of all ages need exercise to stay fit and healthy. That’s why paediatricians recommend light exercises for even infants to strengthen their bones and muscles. Children get adequate exercise if they play outdoors or enrol in any physical activity class every day. These days, there are even soft gyms for toddlers to develop their motor skills in a play environment.
As children grow up and reach their pre-teens or teens, the burden of academics increases and their focus on physical fitness goes down due to lack of time. However, this is also the time when their body goes through hormonal changes which need to be managed well. Hence, you should seriously consider enrolling them in dance, gymnastics, football, badminton, martial arts or any other sports class.
As far as joining a gym is considered, the ideal age is 17-18 years as their body becomes mature to lift weights and do powerlifting, bodybuilding and high resistance training.
If your child is around 14-15 years, they may think of joining the gym for functional exercises, jumping, skipping, sit-ups, cycling, running, aerobics, yoga, pilates or kickboxing. They should avoid high-intensity or vigorous exercises as they may lead to injury, sprains or stains.
If your child is pursuing cricket, football, tennis, badminton or any other sports on a professional level, the coach might recommend gym training to prepare their body accordingly from a young age.
When your child joins the gym, make sure that are trained under the supervision of a well-qualified and professional trainer. You can check for gym and fitness classes for children in Pune here.
