Summary
Overweight children may have a tough time keeping up the pace as they walk on a treadmill. But they could find their key to physical fitness lies in weight training. “You can’t put these kids on a treadmill for 30 minutes and have them huffing and puffing and sweating,” said Debi Pillarella of the American Council on Exercise. “But strength training with kids who are heavier is superior to any other type of activity.”
Original source:
http://www.azcentral.com/health/kids/articles/0125ob25exercise.html
Details
Overweight children may be incapable of running laps, jumping rope or playing soccer.
But they probably will shine at an activity previously thought to be inappropriate, even dangerous, for kids - strength training.
"You can't put these kids on a treadmill for 30 minutes and have them huffing and puffing and sweating," said Debi Pillarella, the 2004 fitness director of the year for the American Council on Exercise.
They are stronger than and can outlift any of their lesser counterparts.
The 17-year-old Phoenix boy started weight training in October at the Lincoln Family Phoenix Downtown YMCA.
He lifts weights four days a week after school under the supervision of J.R. Nelson, his physical education teacher at Genesis Academy.
"When I checked my weight on the scale, and I reached the high point, I was just thinking, 'No more,' " said Esteban, who weighs 350 pounds.
The teen said his upper body is gaining muscle, his stamina is improved and he likes the slimmer face that looks back at him in the mirror.
Free weights, body weight, machines and devices such as elastic bands and medicine balls provide the resistance.
Exercises include push-ups and pull-ups, biceps curls and leg extensions.
Two long-held misconceptions about strength training are that it may stunt a child's growth and that it should be prohibited in kids 11 and younger.
The benefits include improvements in muscular fitness, strength of bones, body composition, motor fitness performance and injury resistance.
It also may enhance self-esteem, mental discipline and the socialization of participants, both boys and girls.
During an eight-week strength-training class, the average youth adds 3 pounds of muscle, which equates to about 105 additional calories burned daily, said Westcott.
About the author: Mike Adams is a natural health author and award-winning journalist with a passion for teaching people how to improve their health He has authored more than 1,800 articles and dozens of reports, guides and interviews on natural health topics, and he has created several downloadable courses on survival and preparedness, including his widely-downloaded course on personal safety and self-defense. Adams is an independent journalist with strong ethics who does not get paid to write articles about any product or company. In 2010, Adams co-founded NaturalNews.com, a natural health video sharing site that has now grown in popularity. He also founded an environmentally-friendly online retailer called BetterLifeGoods.com that uses retail profits to help support consumer advocacy programs. He's also a noted technology pioneer and founded a software company in 1993 that developed the HTML email newsletter software currently powering the NaturalNews subscriptions. Adams also serves as the executive director of the Consumer Wellness Center, a non-profit consumer protection group, and practices nature photography, Capoeira, martial arts and organic gardening. He's also author of numerous health books published by Truth Publishing and is the creator of several consumer-oriented grassroots campaigns, including the Spam. Don't Buy It! campaign, and the free downloadable Honest Food Guide. He also created the free reference sites HerbReference.com and HealingFoodReference.com. Adams believes in free speech, free access to nutritional supplements and the ending of corporate control over medicines, genes and seeds. Known by his callsign, the 'Health Ranger,' Adams posts his missions statements, health statistics and health photos at www.HealthRanger.org
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Tuesday, February 01, 2005
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