Is it safe for children to lift weights? Does it stunt growth?

Exercise is excellent for kids. Kids who exercise are fitter, stronger, and less likely to be overweight or obese . They have better physical and mental health , perform better in the classroom, and are more likely to exercise as an adult .

In short, the more exercise they do now, the better. But what about weight training? If you’ve ever spent much time in the comments section of social media posts featuring kids lifting weights, you’ll know debate rages about whether or not it’s safe for children. Unfortunately, there are still many myths about weight training and kids.

The research evidence suggests it’s safe, as long as a few common sense precautions are followed. A common misconception Lifting weights is an example of “resistance training”, which can include bodyweight exercises, weightlifting, jump training, and even sprinting. A common misconception is that resistance training is bad for kids.

You may have heard it stunts their growth – but this rumour isn’t supported by the scientific evidence. The concerns around stunting growth come from the potential for kids to experience what is known as a “growth plate injury.” A growth plate is a section of cartilage at the end of bone that allows the bone to grow.

These plates turn into bone sometime during puberty when bone growth stops. A growth plate injury can lead to early bone closure and a shorter limb length – or a stunting of bone growth. These injuries can occur in kids , but they most often occ.