You’re NEVER Too Young to Lift!

Whether you are a parent, potential parent, or you know a parent, you should read this.
It’s about time we stop hearing the classic phrase: “you’re too young to lift weights”, “lifting weights will make you short”, “lifting weights will damage your bones and joints” … We established previously that resistance training does not make children and adolescents shorter, and we’re going to say it again: you are NEVER too young to lift!
As a matter of fact, resistance training has been shown to have numerous health benefits on youth, including (1,2):
• Improved bone health and bone mineral density.
• Improved weight status and body composition.
• Improved cognitive function, especially for youth ages between 6 & 13.
• Improved cardiovascular health.
• Reduced risk of depression and improved psychosocial health.
• More specifically, resistance training can help children (2):
o Build fundamental movement skill profiles 
o Improve their strength and power.
o Improve their cardiovascular endurance.
o Reduce sports-related injuries.
o Improve motor skill performance.
o Promote exercise habits throughout adolescence.
The improvements in the physiological development that occur in children and adolescents after following an efficient and supervised resistance training program greatly surpass the normal development of the average youth (2,3). For example, bone density can improve four to five times more in resistance-trained adolescents than their sedentary peers (4,5). Even more importantly, the improvement in bone density persists even after training ceases (6).
The bottom line is, children and adolescents can and should be doing resistance training as long as it is in a safe environment and under qualified supervision. Make sure that it is always a fun experience to help them MOVE more and lift heavier!
References
1. Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition. :118.
2. Faigenbaum AD, Kraemer WJ, Blimkie CJR, Jeffreys I, Micheli LJ, Nitka M, et al. Youth resistance training: updated position statement paper from the national strength and conditioning association. J Strength Cond Res. 2009 Aug;23(5 Suppl):S60-79.
3. Falk B, Tenenbaum G. The effectiveness of resistance training in children. A meta-analysis. Sports Med Auckl NZ. 1996 Sep;22(3):176–86.
4. Alvarez-San Emeterio C, Antuñano NP-G, López-Sobaler AM, González-Badillo JJ. Effect of strength training and the practice of Alpine skiing on bone mass density, growth, body composition, and the strength and power of the legs of adolescent skiers. J Strength Cond Res. 2011 Oct;25(10):2879–90.
5. Nichols DL, Sanborn CF, Love AM. Resistance training and bone mineral density in adolescent females. J Pediatr. 2001 Oct;139(4):494–500.
6. Specker B, Binkley T. Increased periosteal circumference remains present 12 months after an exercise intervention in preschool children. Bone. 2004;35(6):1383–8.