the gym is a place for everyone it's a place for people of all sizes shape background gender
and of course ages or is it can a 10 year old child lift weights will that stunt their
growth the truth is it probably doesn't in this video we will be breaking down strength
training we'll tell you exactly what it is how it can affect your physical and mental
health as well as debunk the myths associated with it what is strength training strength
training or resistance training is not just weight lifting and it includes all strength
and endurance exercises there are multiple categories of this training these include
weightlifting where you lift weights like barbells or dumbbells like doing a bench press
or bicep curls body weight exercises where you use the weight of your body to work out
like push-ups and sit-ups isometric exercises which are exercises where you squeeze your
muscles but are totally still like planks and wall sets and plyometric exercises which
helps train your jump like box jumps what does this myth mean and where did it originate
from well this myth that weightlifting stencil growth could have many Origins one possibly
being the fact that it stems from the idea where bodybuilding at a young age is not recommended
because it puts too much strain on the muscles tendons and something called growth plates
bodybuilding is using strength training like lifting heavier and heavier weights to progressively
grow muscles growth plates or epiphyseal plates are a plate of cartilage on each end of a
long bone take this fever for example the femur is the longest bone in your body located
in your upper leg it has growth plates on each end these plates of cartilage are actually
made up of cartilage cells called chondrocytes and they grow and divide in order to grow
the growth plate outwards away from the middle of the bone as the older chondrocytes die
osteoblasts which are bone cells that make new bone come and turn the dead chondrocytes
into bone as boys and girls go through puberty increasing in levels of estrogen will lead
to an increased amount of chondrocytes dying and being turned into bone eventually all
the chondrocytes that make the cartilage of the growth plates become bone and finally
the person stops growing children who weightlift without proper technique or supervision from
a qualified trainer may use excessive load and improper form which can increase their
chance of injury however although this type of injury may sound scary to some the rate
of injury among Children and adolescents who weightlift is relatively low according to
the study by Hamill the rate of injury among 11 to 18 year olds who weightlift was much
lower compared to sports such as soccer and rugby in fact most of the injuries that do
occur during weightlifting tend to be preventable with proper coaching supervision and programming
many major Global Health authorities such as those listed here still deem weightlifting
as safe and effective a type of injury associated with this is called the epiphyseal fracture
where the bone separates at the growth plates this can cause early closure of the growth
plate and stop the growing of bones at this region so while yes bodybuilding at a young
age can lead to injury proper and light resistance or strength training such as using of light
free weights weight machine and doing body weight and resistance exercises is similar
to any high impact sport such as basketball or soccer and football and is generally safe
especially when children or youth are taught and use the correct form in fact the Mayo
Clinic suggests that kids as young as seven can do light string training epiphyseal fractures
do not only happen in bodybuilding but also in any sport such as football skiing biking
and even falling so there will always be a certain risk when it comes to any type of
exercise including strength training but if it is done right and using lighter safer weights
then it can be actually quite beneficial with all this in mind what factors can actually
prevent someone from achieving their maximum growth potential some common factors you may
have heard of are vitamin D and calcium calcium is an important component of bone tissue and
is necessary for bone growth similarly vitamin D is needed to help the bones absorb calcium
I use it to make them stronger without getting vitamin D and calcium through your diet either
through milk or supplements this can really impact growth especially in Children and adolescents
everyone particularly children and teenagers need to make sure they're getting enough sleep
as teenagers it's easy to stay up late and still wake up in time for school the next
day but that doesn't mean you should constantly being deprived of sleep can result in damage
to the growth plates found in your bones which can prevent you from growing what role does
exercise play then well it is true that over exerting your body physically can cause fractures
and injury to the growth plates this is something that applies to all exercises not just weight
lifting physical activity may even strengthen the bones and increase growth in adolescence
in fact a lack of physical activity is said to prevent the bone from growing as a result
contrary to the myth exercises like weight lifting are important to ensure one's bones
can grow how it should like any sort of physical activity however those who engage in weightlifting
must make sure they do so at a manageable weight this is especially true for teenagers
who should consider lifting lower weights combined with a higher amount of repetitions
now that we know weightlifting does not stunt growth the question is should you be lifting
weights we are not experts so we recommend that you talk to your doctor first and do
your own research to see if it's right for you but if you feel that this is something
you can incorporate into your lifestyle physical activity can have many benefits on someone's
Mental Health for example research has found that weightlifting decreased symptoms of depression
anxiety and stress in adolescence this is a finding that has been found not only in
normal everyday life but even held true during periods of isolation and extreme mental strain
such as the covid-19 lockdowns in 2020 youth weightlifting and resistance training is also
known to improve one's cognition as well as improve their self-worth self-efficacy and
self-esteem as a result weightlifting and Adolescence could result in teenagers and
young adults who are smarter and more confident overall it is clear to see that youth weightlifting
can have many positive impacts on the mental health of those who engage in the activity
whether you are an athlete or not weightlifting can be highly beneficial for you participation
in weightlifting can only increase your strength but it can also increase other strength related
variables such as endurance change your body composition which is the percentage of bone
muscle and fat in your body it can improve your overall motor control as well as increase
your bone mineral density according to the National Institutes of Health up to 90 percent
of peak bone mass is acquired by age 18 in girls at age 20 in boys which makes youth
the best time for kids to invest in their bone health considering this bones are similar
to your muscles and how they get stronger the more you use them lifting weights can
help to strengthen your bones or increase their density which later down the line may
possibly reduce your likeliness of developing bone disorders such as osteoporosis now if
you're an athlete you know how disheartening a sports related injury can be one Twist of
the ankle and you could be out the entire season in the U.S it has been reported that
about 3.5 million sports related injuries in children under 15 years old will require
a medical visit each year however the inclusion of weightlifting in an athlete's strength
and conditioning program can be highly beneficial in fact a study by keho and Griffith on adolescent
football players showed that after adding weight training into their pre-season commissioning
program there was actually a decrease in knee injuries and surgery over four competitive
seasons additionally another study by heshna at all showed that the inclusion of resistance
training also reduced the time if took for athletes to return to play post injury so
for athletes who want to work on their performance or reduce their injury potential weightlifting
could be a great option for you now that you know all this new information it begs the
question it's a weightlifting the right fit for you if you're interested in getting started
here are a few things to remember to make sure you're stayed safe always lift with the
proper format technique it's hard to know if you're performing smoothly correctly when
you're by yourself if catering with other people you can use mirrors record videos to
improve yourself many people may overlook this but getting enough rest is highly important
whether that is resting between sets or taking rest days for better recovery make sure you
don't overwork yourself which increase your risk of injury lastly load stay within the
recent moments of your body if you're looking to look heavier than normal make sure you
have a responsible spotter in case anything goes wrong we hope you enjoyed this video
and happy birthday