Exercising with a Personal Trainer for Children

Recent concern about youth obesity and inactivity has parents, teachers, and personal trainers looking for ways to improve the health of America's youth. Today's parents want their children to be both healthy and competitive. Working with a personal trainer to enhance their sports participation may give teens an edge in the increasingly challenging college admissions process and in life. Parents also know that competence in sports can help improve self-esteem and enhance peer relationships.

The Problem of Childhood Obesity

More children today are overweight or obese than ever before which is why more children are beginning to work with personal trainers than ever before. There are some personal trainers and fitness centers that specialize in working with children and specifically with sports conditioning. There are many options available for athletic children when it comes to personal training. You should find personal trainers who specialize in working with children where they focus on meeting the demand for private and group training for ages 8 and up.

Despite all of the negative press we hear about childhood obesity, America is a sports-oriented nation. Adults and children spend substantial time both watching and participating in sports.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau:

• American households with children spent an estimated $4.1 billion last year on sports instruction and private coaching.
• Today there are two-thirds more kids playing high school sports than just a generation ago.

Athletic Children

Athletic children will naturally gravitate towards working with a personal trainer in groups or one on one. Personal trainers who work with children focus on making the workout sessions both productive and fun. Much like an adult, a child’s session will include a warm up and then some combination of conditioning which may include cardiovascular, strengthening, agility, speed, coordination or other sport specific moves. Each session should be completed with stretching.

Sometimes a child’s personal training session may be shorter than the typical hour. The frequency and duration of the session are based on the child’s abilities, interests and participation in other exercise sports. Children may work with a trainer seasonally, such as in the off season of their primary sport.

Non-Athletic Children

For those children who are not athletic, a different approach is taken. The focus is on making sure the child has a good experience with exercise, builds on their abilities and builds on their confidence.

Obesity in children is a significant cardiovascular disease risk factor, and the risk tracks into adolescence and young adulthood if not corrected in childhood. In addition, obese children often experience exclusion from social groups and low self-esteem.

Physical activity is thus a key element in the prevention and treatment of both chronic disease and obesity. For unfit children, their only experience with exercise may be in gym class and it’s not always a positive experience. A personal trainer can take the time to build an unfit child’s fitness skills, abilities and confidence.

For those children who are not naturally physically active, the greatest benefits come from engaging in planned and structured exercise with a coach or personal trainer.

Over the years, state requirements for daily physical education have eroded, and today only a small handful of schools in the US provide daily physical activity. Children are developing lifelong lifestyle habits beginning at a young age and parents are not always necessarily the best role models. A personal trainer can set a good example for lifetime skills and help a child measure their improvements.

Finding a Personal Trainer for your Child

Look for a personal trainer who works full time with children, especially for children seeking sport enhancement or with poor fitness skills who lack confidence. Working with children is a very specialized portion of the fitness/sport industry. The personal trainer should have taken additional educational courses in children’s fitness and conditioning. Always interview the trainer intensively before you hire them.

Be sure to ask the Trainer about his/her philosophies regarding working with kids. The trainer should speak about developing general aspects of athletic ability and ensuring that young athletes remain injury free.