Rhythms and distances must be dosed according to physical and mental growth and biological age (and not so much personal). We let the children run for fun and go to great lengths to protect their developing physique
I read that a six-year-old boy completed a marathon with his parents. My ten-year-old son also really likes to race with me: he has already participated in races over shorter distances. By training him well, could I try to take him to a marathon abroad or are there any contraindications? Can too many kilometers hurt a child of that age?
He answers Gianfranco Beltramivice president of the Italian Sports Medicine Federation (GO TO THE FORUM)
Physical and sporting activity for children must above all be a game and unfortunately, in many sports, children are often subjected to loads of training, stress and competitive tensions which are counterproductive for their health and development. First of all a child has to think about have fun and playrunning and jumping, feeling free to stop and interrupt the activity when he wants, without being forced by times, routes and schedules. Competition and competition can be a very useful stimulus both to improve oneself and to face opponents, but rhythms and distances must be dosed according to the physical and mental growth and biological age (and not so much chronological) of the child.
Running demanding distances for long hours can be a risk not only of physical wearin a body with growing and not yet settled musculoskeletal structures, but also mental: it can lead in the years to come to a rejection of sport and the abandonment of any sporting practice. Children often do activities, including sports, to please their parents, to be able to be with them, but a child unable to understand the physical and mental strain of running over 40 kilometers, does not understand what it means to suffer. We then let the children run for fun, let them stop when they are tired and do everything to protect their developing physique and their young minds.
November 1, 2022 (change November 1, 2022 | 13:31)
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