Your Kids Should Lift Weights (And Not Just to Get Buff!)
When you think of youth exercise, what comes to mind? Perhaps you think of activities like running on the track or jumping rope in the driveway. Or maybe you envision bike riding, swimming, kayaking, or another recreational sport? For many of us, youth exercise is just letting them run around outside at lunch and burn off energy.
These are all excellent activities. However, I’d like to highlight the importance of another type of youth exercise that is often overlooked: weight training, i.e., lifting weights. While most people think of exercise in terms of aerobic activities (such as running, swimming, and cycling), weight training is an anaerobic activity, meaning it does not rely on oxygen for energy. Weight training thus operates on completely different principles than aerobic exercise and has an entirely different set of benefits as well.
“But why do I need to lift weights?” some kids might lament. “I don’t want to be a bodybuilder. I don’t need to have big, bulky muscles.” While weight lifting is undoubtedly associated with the sort of shredded physiques common in the bodybuilding world, weight training offers a multitude of health benefits beyond mere aesthetics. In this article, we will discuss six benefits of weight training above and beyond just getting jacked.
1. Improved Body Composition
Body composition refers to the makeup of the body in terms of the relative percentage of body fat to lean (muscle) mass. Because weight training builds muscle, it changes the body composition to carry more muscle mass. Maintaining a healthy body composition is a crucial factor in overall health and wellness. It offers benefits such as improved overall health, increased energy levels, and enhanced physical performance. A healthier body composition is also associated with improved self-image and self-esteem.
2. Increased Bone Mineral Density
One of the most direct benefits of weight training is the increase in bone mineral density. Bone mineral density (BMD) is a measure of the amount of minerals contained in a specific volume of bone, primarily calcium. Weight training increases BMD by stressing the bones, which stimulates bone-forming cells (osteoblasts) to produce more bone tissue. This process makes bones stronger and denser, which not only reduces the risk of bone fractures but also diminishes the likelihood of osteoporosis later in life.
3. Stronger Muscles
It goes without saying that weight training will result in stronger muscles. But what is the benefit of stronger muscles? Muscle strength is defined by the amount of force the muscle can exert through its contraction. The stronger one’s muscles, the greater force can be exerted through muscular contraction. In practical terms, this translates to being able to lift heavier things, push heavier loads, and open the lid of a jar of pickles with less difficulty. Your children don’t need to be bodybuilders to appreciate the benefits of stronger muscles, especially if they are physically active.
4. Faster Metabolism
We’ve all heard about metabolism, which is the process by which your body burns calories for energy. If your metabolism is faster, you burn more calories. A slower metabolism means your body tends to hold on to calories in the form of fat storage. Building muscle is an excellent way to increase metabolism. Unlike fat, muscle tissue requires energy to contract and relax, even when the body is at rest. This means that even while you’re sleeping, your muscles are still burning calories to maintain their structure and function! A body with more muscle burns more calories, which is not only helpful for staving off obesity but also for children who need to burn off some energy.
5. Improved Cardiovascular Health
The cardiovascular system is the bodily system that circulates blood throughout the body. Weight training is an excellent way to improve cardiovascular health. Additionally, it improves blood flow, strengthens the heart muscle, improves cholesterol levels, and can even lower blood pressure. Weight training is one of the best forms of exercise one can do to improve cardiovascular health, which is important in young people, as more and more children are leading increasingly sedentary lives. This all has the effect of reducing risk for metabolic syndrome, a catch-all term for diseases relating to the cardiovascular system.
6. Decreased Prevalence of Depression
If you have a teen struggling with depression, you might want to consider weight training. Weight training has been strongly associated with a decreased prevalence of depression, both anecdotally and in scientific studies (e.g., Ashdown-Franks et al., 2019). Weight training can help alleviate depression by releasing endorphins, which act as natural mood boosters, and by promoting the growth of new brain cells in the hippocampus, a region crucial for mood regulation. It also provides a sense of accomplishment and improves self-esteem, which can counteract negative thought patterns associated with depression.
Conclusion
Today, we covered the why of weight training. Keep an eye on the blog as I’ll be writing more about how to get started with weightlifting and help teens train safely. I’ll also explore how to develop a practical plan to incorporate into your homeschool physical education (PE) program.
As we’ve seen here, weight training offers a range of benefits, including improved self-esteem, enhanced cardiovascular health, increased metabolism, and more. If you want to get your children into health and fitness, weight training is a fantastic way to start. And one of the best things about weight training is you don’t need to get an expensive gym membership: most weight training exercises can be performed at home with a basic weight set, and instructional videos on YouTube are legion. So what are you waiting for? Get your kids a set of dumbbells, watch a few educational videos, and get started!
What are your thoughts on this topic? Join me and other homeschooling parents in the Homeschool Connections Facebook Group or in the HSC Community to continue the conversation.
