To What Extent Can Weight Loss Competition Benefit Kids
By: Peter Jacob
Submitted: 2011-07-25 04:43:35 | Word Count: 601
Childhood obesity is on the increase in many countries of the world. Most healthcare specialists opine that children must devote at least an hour each day for some rigorous physical exercises. But the fact is the present day children sit in front of television or indulge in video games or surf the Internet for hours without end.
The children resent doing weight loss exercises and the only way to lure them into physical exertion is to make things exciting for them. One imaginative way to motivate children into doing physical exercises is to organize an outdoor games or some other weight loss competition amongst obese children. Competition in weight loss will help children realize how hard work can be rewarding and how working together with other kids can be exciting.
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But before embarking on any such competition, it is prudent to have your child examined by a pediatrician to know his/her exact health condition and what type of physical activity is safe for the child. It is also necessary to determine how much excess weight your child needs to shed and the pace of weight loss.
Kids are mischievous and do a lot of fooling around. Any healthy competition in weight loss will certainly discipline and motivate them.
There is a competitive spirit in each one of us and children are no exception. Children, like adults, are fond of outperforming one another. So, any healthy competition will certainly bring the best out of every child and they will be motivated to do the exercises regularly and stay in the race.
But, as every child in a batch will need to lose different quantum of weight, weight loss competition should be more imaginatively organized and not on the basis of who loses more weight. Prolonged physical exercises are discouraged for children and therefore there should be no competition on which child does the exercises for the longest hours.
Many healthcare specialists argue against weight lifting training for children. It is said that children in their growing years undergo delicate bone development. However, if you are inclined to let your child lift weights, make sure that safety requirements including proper technique and appropriate weight selection are strictly followed.
It is inadvisable to organize a competition in weight lifting for children. Again competition may not be the right course as each child should participate in a variety of age-appropriate physical activities on a daily basis. However, strength training with weights for children in late teens is no longer discouraged. Young children below 12 years may certainly be better off running around and playing ball games than lifting weights.
The following guidelines will be useful for developing weight loss programs for children:
• Ensure the child takes enough food and fluid prior to every exercise session.
• There should be a proper warm up workouts before commencing the exercises.
• Two sets for each exercise is probably enough for younger children, and it should minimize boredom as well.
• Organize not more than ten exercises depending on age, fitness and maturity levels.
• Close monitoring and guidance is essential lest the child gets injured.
• Workout exercises on alternate days may be adequate for children as they will need at least one day in between sessions for recovery from muscle soreness.
• Make the workout sessions exciting by introducing some games and music.
Author Resource:-
Being an expertise in writing articles Peter Jacob has contributed articles related to weight loss retreats. His fields of interest has been mostly regarding fat camp. For further information on fitness programs visit us at fitness resort.
