Weight training for kids wins approval from parents

• There's been a shift in the sports medicine world.
• Doctors used to believe that weight training at a young age was not a good idea and could be dangerous to a child's growth.
• Nine-year-old Taylor works out with her personal trainer, Kari Pagenhardt.
• The goal is to get Taylor excited about exercise.
• Pagenhardt works with Taylor on a variety of strength training exercises.
• But, is this safe at such a young age?
• "In general, if done right, if done well, it can help tremendously, and the converse is also true.
• If done wrong, it can do irreversible damage," sports medicine physician Dr. Eric E. Coris said.
• Coris said for safe strength training with kids, focus on proper form, light weights and higher repetitions.
• With kids, bulking up is not the goal of weight training, so 12 to 20 repetitions with light weights is all they need.
• As for a trainer, find one who's certified, makes it fun, and doesn't focus on weight loss.
• "You want to avoid the boot camp mentality.
• Really, what you want to do is in still in your children a lifelong appreciation for exercise," Coris said.
• While Taylor is trained, her mom, Debra Fry, works out too.
• She said Taylor doesn't like physical activities, which has led to weight gain.
• "My bigger fear is that if she's 15, if I hadn't done anything to help her, that she'd look at me and say, 'Mommy why did you not do anything for me?'" Fry said.
• Her weight is down, her confidence up, and balance and strength are improved.
• "When she first started, she couldn't do a leg lift or one crunch, and now she can really do it," Pagenhardt said.