Mayo Clinic promotes Strength Training for Kids

The very prominent and well respected Mayo Clinic addressed the question of whether or not it is appropriate for children to engage in strength training. They begin their article with:

"Strength training for kids? You bet! Done properly, strength training offers many bonuses to young athletes. Strength training is even a good idea for kids who simply want to look and feel better. In fact, strength training can put your child on a lifetime path to better health and fitness."

At Advanced Fitness we focus on Functional Training every client based on the internationally known Functional Movement Screen where we can focus on rehabilitating the client while training them as safely as possible. Our Youth Athlete strength training will focus on body weight and core stability training. Here's what Mayo Clinic recommended youth training shoulder involve:

"For kids, light resistance and controlled movements are best — with a special emphasis on proper technique and safety. Your child can do many strength training exercises with his or her own body weight or inexpensive resistance tubing."
It seems the Mayo Clinic has been keeping a close watch on what's going on at Advanced Fitness. We recommend starting Youth Sport Training at 12 years of age. We do believe there is a place for fitness training for ages 8-11. It's just where we want to start. At twelve, children are usually capable of working in a small group better and can follow verbal cues for proper training. I have read a few really strange articles recently about starting kids as early as 4 months of age. There are facilities where you can sign you 6 month old up for fitness / sport training. Check out this N.Y. Times article for a quick laugh.

The Big Mistake...

So many people feel that they are qualified to train children or even themselves for that matter. Nothing makes me cringe more than hearing a parent talk about how he/she is putting their child through their workout. Would these same parents act as their child's pediatrician if the child were sick? A recent article in the Wall Street Journal Online documented that there is a significant rise in youth fitness training in the U.S. today. They also addressed the fact that youth fitness training should not be considered something that any parent can do.

""I'm not a fan of strength training at home unless Mom or Dad has a background in PE and understands pediatric strength-training guidelines," says Avery Faigenbaum, a supporter of youth strength-training, a professor of exercise science at the College of New Jersey and lead author of the NSCA position paper."(The NSCA is a leading organization in Sports Training. At Advanced Fitness, we have 2 NSCA Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and a NSCA Certified Personal Trainer)

At Advanced Fitness we are offering an opportunity to experience Youth Sports Training. We will be providing a complimentary Youth Sports Camp every Sunday from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. Each Youth Athlete will require an Initial Assessment and Functional Movement Screen to determine if they can participate. Send us an email at info@fit224.com if you are interested in determining if your child can participate.

Advanced Fitness is a Functional Movement Screen Certified Center, check out our listing on the Functional Movement Screen website. We are listed under Dr. John Wilkins, CSCS - Advanced Fitness of Kennett Square. Click here to find out a little more about the FMS.

Youth Sports Training, Everybody's Doing It!

Childhood obesity is skyrocketing and kids are spending too much time with mind-numbing, brain-melting video games.

Keep your kids healthy and ensure their success on the playing field by getting them the professional sports training coaching they deserve. For a limited time, experience what Youth Sports Training is all about.

We are offering a FREE camp on Sundays from 4:00-5:30pm. Each youth athlete must pass an initial assessment and Functional Movement Screen to be eligible. The first 10 athletes that are interested will receive their initial assessment and Functional Movement Screen at no cost to them (regular fee $49.00)

Stay tuned for more information!

Could you be exercising yourself into sickness?

Could you be exercising yourself into sickness? How would you know? We all know that exercise is an important foundation to a healthy lifestyle. However, just as exercise has the amazing potential to bring health, it can also bring sickness if not used properly.

We already know that whether or not we "catch" a bacterial or viral infection is a product of the immune system of the host (our bodies) and not the presence of a pathogen (viral or bacterial exposure). A well known immunologist and endurance athlete was referenced by a NPR journalist today in the article "Stepping Up Exercise Could Help Beat The Cold Virus."

"There's a window of about a half a day or day where viruses can multiply at higher rate because defenses are down,"said Dr. David Nieman, an exercise immunologist at Appalachian State University and a runner of more than 58 marathons and supermarathons. This window of opportunity occurs after about 90 minutes of intense exercise. After 90 minutes, tests on athletes show that stress hormones go up, muscle breaks down, and inflammation kicks in. All of these factors are potentially unhealthy, but in combination, can be devastating.

There was some great news in this NPR article. A study was published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine which found that after the end of the three-month study, the more the participants exercised, the less they reported getting sick. Those who exercised five days a week for 20 minutes or more experienced about 40 percent fewer days of illness compared with those putting in less than one day a week of activity.  

This speaks well for our Advanced Fitness client programming model of training sessions at or less than 45-60 minutes and at a frequency of 3-5 times per week. Way to go Everett & Vicki!

Eat, Exercise, Enjoy: October 21st

One of the most frequently asked questions as a trainer is "What do I eat before or after I work out?" In fact, people are so confused and unsure of this topic that supplement companies have made millions by marketing and selling pre and post workout shakes and bars. Don't worry - there's no need to run to GNC before and after every workout. The goal of workout nutrition is to provide more fuel and building materials when you need them the most. It is particularly important to have one of your meals immediately after strength training because this is a critical time for muscle growth and recovery. Here are some general guidelines for pre and post workout nutrition:


1) Eat both protein and carbs in your pre and post workout meals
     *30-50 grams of protein

     *60-100 grams of carbs for the post workout meal

     * Get your first post-workout nutrition intake anytime between the end of your workout and 30   minutes after your workout.

2) You can drink your post-workout meal, as liquids are absorbed more rapidly than solid whole foods. However, you do not have to use a commercial post workout shake, you can make your own using protein powder and some milk or fruit!

3) If your goal is fat loss, focus on whole foods post workout such as a chicken breast, brown rice and plenty of vegetables. 

4) For pre-workout, try to have your meal roughly an hour before you exercise. This will vary from person to person; some will need more time to digest while others can eat very close to exercise with no side effects. Aim to have a combination of protein, carbs and fat, such as greek yogurt with berries and a 1/2 cup cooked oatmeal, or a piece of whole wheat bread with 1 Tbsp of peanut butter. You can also try a bar such as Balance or Zone. 

Here's a great fall recipe that you could have alongside your post workout protein shake!

Pumpkin, Spice, Everything Nice Muffins

                                               

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg. (18.25 oz.)

spice or carrot cake

mix

• 1 can (15 oz.)

LIBBY'S® 100%

Pure Pumpkin

• 6 tablespoons egg

substitute or 3 large

egg whites

• 1/3 cup water

• 1 packet of instant oatmeal

Raisins, optional, but soak first

Directions:

PREHEAT oven to 350º.

Grease or paper-line 24 muffin cups. COMBINE cake mix,pumpkin, egg substitute and water in large mixer bowl until moistened. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds; scrape bowl.

Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in raisins. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling 2/3 full. BAKE for 18 to 22 min. or until wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack for 10

min.; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Store muffins in covered

container.

Makes 2 dozen muffins or 18 larger muffins

Whole batch: 2205 calories, 38g fat, 37 g protein 37g fiber