What are the physical activity recommendations for children and youth?

children and Youth Fitness Activities

Broadly speaking, the period of childhood and adolescence ranges from 0 to 18 years old. It is a peak period of human growth and development. Compared to adults, various organs and systems have distinct characteristics in terms of form and function. The physical structure and physiological functions are not fully matured, and the main behavioral characteristics include curiosity, liveliness, and activeness. Therefore, fitness activities for children and youth need to consider their physical and mental characteristics and design planned, purposeful, and scientifically reasonable exercise programs to achieve the desired fitness effects and promote healthy growth.

fitness goals for Children and Youth

Fitness activities for children and youth should set different goals based on their growth and developmental characteristics and individual circumstances, aiming to promote growth and development, prevent accidents and injuries, enhance physical fitness, and improve overall health.

Fitness Goals for Infants

The period from birth to 1 year old is considered infancy. During this stage, the functions of various body systems gradually develop from immature to initial formation and consolidation. Infants experience significant changes in their physical form, and their motor abilities also develop. In the infancy stage, although infants' limbs, hands, eyes, and trunk can coordinate to perform some whole-body movements, these actions are often uncoordinated and lack precision. Therefore, fitness activities for infants should primarily focus on parents' active, patient guidance and assistance to cultivate the infants' sensory and motor abilities.

Fitness Goals for Toddlers

The period from 1 to 3 years old is considered the toddler stage. Compared to the infancy stage, toddlers' growth slows down, and they have good control of gross motor skills such as walking, running, and jumping. Their fine motor skills improve as well, enabling them to play with toys, undress themselves, and eat independently. Language abilities also show noticeable progress, and they can engage in simple conversations. The toddler stage is an important period for brain development, and the dexterity of the hands is one of the indicators of brain development. "Hand dexterity" also promotes the development of various brain regions. Therefore, fitness activities for toddlers should focus on developing their manual dexterity.

Fitness Goals for Preschoolers

The period from 4 to 5 years old is considered the preschool stage, which corresponds to the kindergarten phase. At this stage, children experience rapid growth in height, develop stronger muscles, and exhibit noticeable spinal curvature. Their motor functions also improve. Fitness activities during this stage should mainly focus on developing flexibility, responsiveness, and coordination. It is not suitable to engage in high-intensity and long-duration exercises (such as long-distance running) or excessive strength training.

Fitness Goals for Children

The period from 6 to 11 years old is considered the childhood stage, also known as the elementary school phase. Childhood is a rapid growth period of physical development and a stable growth period of morphological and functional development. The nervous system is generally matured, and children have the basic abilities to engage in various complex movements. They also exhibit higher intellectual levels. Fitness activities during this stage should primarily focus on mastering specific movement techniques and skills, nurturing moral and willpower qualities, and promoting comprehensive improvement of physical abilities.

Fitness Goals for Adolescents

The period from 12 to 18 years old is considered the adolescent stage, corresponding to the secondary school phase. Adolescence is a transitional period from childhood to adulthood, during which individuals undergo physical and psychological maturation. This stage is crucial for cardiovascular development, and fitness activities should primarily aim to enhance cardiovascular function. During the ages of 12 to 18, muscle development is prominent, and exercises to develop muscle strength, such as sit-ups, push-ups, and pull-ups, can be included. After the age of 15, more intense fitness activities can be introduced, including sprinting, jumping, gymnastics, cycling, martial arts, dancing, swimming, rollerblading, and various team sports. It is important to note that in the late stage of pubertal development, there are noticeable gender differences, with females having less muscle strength. Therefore, while encouraging fitness activities for adolescent girls, it is essential to ensure that the exercise intensity is appropriate and focus on developing strength in the shoulder, back, abdominal muscles, and pelvic ligaments.

Key Considerations for Children and Youth Fitness

Children and youth who are still in the process of physical development need to choose appropriate activities and adopt correct exercise techniques. The following points should be considered for children's fitness:

First, attention should be given to daily habits. In addition to cultivating correct body posture, it is essential to develop proper standing, running, jumping, and throwing postures to prevent skeletal deformities.

Second, jumping exercises should be avoided on hard surfaces. Since the spinal curvature of children and youth is smaller than that of adults, and their cushioning ability is poorer, these exercises may cause premature ossification of the lower limb bones or damage to the epiphyseal plate, which can affect normal bone growth and height increase.

Third, children and youth should not engage in strength training at an early age. Excessive exercise load, prolonged exercise time, and excessive repetitions can negatively impact the normal development of the lower limbs, leading to leg deformities and flat feet.

Fourth, when participating in asymmetric sports (such as table tennis, badminton, throwing, high jump, long jump, etc.), special attention should be paid to strengthening exercises for the contralateral limbs to promote symmetrical growth and prevent uneven development.

Fifth, excessive jumping from heights should be avoided to prevent pelvic and lower limb bone deformities. When performing joint flexibility exercises, it is necessary to develop the strength of the muscles surrounding the joints to prevent joint sprains, ligament strains, or dislocations. For endurance exercises, the exercise load should not be excessive, and a balance between exercise and rest should be maintained.

Sixth, as children and youth undergo physical development, their psychological development also undergoes changes, which manifest in intelligence, attention, thinking, emotions, willpower, behavior, and interpersonal relationships. Therefore, it is important to incorporate concepts of psychological health education into daily fitness activities, consciously cultivate qualities such as rule consciousness, competitiveness, cooperation, tenacity, unity, respect for others, etc.

Fitness Activities for Children and Youth

For children without physical disabilities and with normal physical development, a variety of fitness activities can be chosen based on their interests, physical conditions, and family circumstances.

Fitness Activities for Preschoolers

Fitness activities suitable for preschoolers mainly include gymnastics, basic movement exercises, and sports games. Depending on their age, preschoolers can engage in imitation exercises, bodyweight exercises, and light apparatus exercises. Basic movement exercises include walking, running, jumping, balancing, throwing, crawling, and climbing. Sports games combine various gymnastics and basic movement exercises and involve role-playing and rules.

Fitness Activities for Children

Fitness activities suitable for children include running, climbing, jumping rope, swimming, exercises on mats, gymnastics, ball sports, throwing, martial arts, etc. Early-stage exercises should focus on speed, agility, and flexibility training. Instead of specialized weight training, activities with characteristics of strength training, such as jumping rope, throwing, tennis, and various games, can be chosen.

Fitness Activities for Adolescents

Fitness activities suitable for adolescents include aerobic exercises, speed training, and flexibility exercises. After the age of 12, strength training and endurance exercises can be increased, such as bodyweight exercises likesit-ups, push-ups, and pull-ups. From the age of 15, more intense fitness activities such as sprinting, jumping, gymnastics, cycling, martial arts, dancing, swimming, rollerblading, and various team sports can be incorporated. It is important to ensure that the exercise routines are age-appropriate and consider individual abilities and physical conditions.