Kids running

sammyneb

I am just curious about people's opinions on young kids running. My son (who is 6 1/2) has run 4 5Ks and a couple of kids dashes. Last year when he was 5 1/2 we did a color run, we walked a lot of it and I carried him on parts of it, the second was an ugly Christms Sweater race we walked about half of it and ran half it, the third was a benefit for the Sandy Hook school, on that one we did intervals (ran 1 min walked 30 seconds) we just did the color run again last weekend and he ran the whole thing (well we walked through 2 of the color stations) I was so proud, and he is a little guy, so short little legs

I don't go running with him regularly but i was considering seeing if he would want to start running a few miles with me every week....what are your thoughts? I haven't really read to much about it having negative effects. he isn't really in to any sports, he likes to swim and I keep trying to put him in other sports, but he doesn't have much interest. There is no fear of him being overweight, but I just want him to have some sort of activity, that well...keeps him active (i didn't as a kid, and wish I did, so I didn't battle my weight for most of my life)
thoughts/opinions?

Cp731

Absolutely.
He will thank you for teaching him when he was young.
:flowerforyou:

lolo4tim

I think it is great and cannot think of anything negative that could come from it! My son runs with me and has for several years, he is 11 now. He can beat me good in speed and endurance!

ZenInTexas

Go for it!! I want to get my girls into running while they're young too. There are always kids at the races I do and they always beat the pants off of me. Last year at the Houston marathon they profiled a girl who was 12 and running it. It's a great sport for kids.

Leigh_b

I run with my girls all the time. They are 6 and 3. They love it and it's a great way to spend time with them! Definitely do it!

GiddyupTim

I think if you did not push him too hard, and just kept it fun, it would be fine. However, as a youth soccer coach, I remember they used to stress for us that a child's cardiovascular system is not an adult's system. A child's heart rate is naturally faster, and it peaks sooner with intense exercise, and it recovers slower. So, they recommended that we keep that in mind, and keep the running reasonable, especially in hot weather.
Now, this was for younger children -- that is, less than eight years.
As far as jogging is concerned, some research has been conducted and it really has not identified any reason for concern. (Runner's World has articles on this.) It does not appear to result in a higher rate of overuse injuries and does not appear to wear anything out. In fact, it is often pointed out that Kenyan children run long distances all the time, just to get to school, etc., and they have no ill effects. Some of those kids run the equivalent of 30 miles a week, I think.

sammyneb

I run with my girls all the time. They are 6 and 3. They love it and it's a great way to spend time with them! Definitely do it!

how often and how long (either time or miles?)
Thank you!

DavidMartinez2

http://www.militarytimes.com/article/20130510/OFFDUTY03/305100006/Ultra-kids-distance-running-safe-your-12-year-old-

meeper123

Kids love to run! Let them

jsickman12

I used to beg my dad to take me on runs with him, did me good!

k8eekins

I am just curious about people's opinions on young kids running. My son (who is 6 1/2) has run 4 5Ks and a couple of kids dashes. Last year when he was 5 1/2 we did a color run, we walked a lot of it and I carried him on parts of it, the second was an ugly Christms Sweater race we walked about half of it and ran half it, the third was a benefit for the Sandy Hook school, on that one we did intervals (ran 1 min walked 30 seconds) we just did the color run again last weekend and he ran the whole thing (well we walked through 2 of the color stations) I was so proud, and he is a little guy, so short little legs

I don't go running with him regularly but i was considering seeing if he would want to start running a few miles with me every week....what are your thoughts? I haven't really read to much about it having negative effects. he isn't really in to any sports, he likes to swim and I keep trying to put him in other sports, but he doesn't have much interest. There is no fear of him being overweight, but I just want him to have some sort of activity, that well...keeps him active (i didn't as a kid, and wish I did, so I didn't battle my weight for most of my life)
thoughts/opinions?

I ran from when I was a child (multi terrain conditioning (sand/clay/red and soapy/rocky)/uphill concentrations/aqua conditioning), for i was introduced and coached by my late father which felt rather regimented at the time for the duration (into my teens). It took me having to experience the discomfitures of being fat for the first time in my life to understand that what he was teaching me then, is precisely as you've described here ~ Your need to positively expose your child to a form of sport he can grow into and maintain in later life, for the sake of his wellbeing and form (fitness), removed from ever knowing what being out of shape feels like.

Running is an excellent discipline for children, for it'll benefit their bodies enough with the inclusion of some other forms of organised sports activities like soccer, swimming and rope climbing for example, to help nurture his interest for the long-term ~ to stay physically active.

Within my neighbourhood, the men are leading their families to fitness. Husbands manage and commandeer their wives whilst they run ~ a good percentage of the wives are presently at that stage where they're doing so reluctantly; The fathers of the neighbourhood differ with their styles of approach to fitness with their children ~ the ones who cycle whilst their toddler - teen boys are running or the majority who run alongside their children (mostly the ones with daughters), if only for 3 - 4 blocks then back home, as their parent-child bonding time, The children who aren't still up to running as yet, cycle behind their running siblings.

aarar

Bump. Interested to see what people have to say.

GiddyupTim

http://www.runnersworld.com/high-school-training/should-kids-run-long?page=single

sammyneb

Just curious if there are others out there that regularly run with their smaller children (5-8) ..(not in a stroller :-)

Linli_Anne

My 6 year old asks to come on runs with me too...I keep them pretty short, but only so she doesn't get turned off of the idea of running all together. She did go to the school running club for a few weeks too, before she realized that she missed that "play" time during lunch hour with her friends on the playground.

southpaw211

My 6 year old is a natural runner. My 8 year old is not. She's pretty awkward on her feet (totally gets it from me, I'm sad to say).

We are signing them both up for our local running store's (Fleet Feet) summer "Kids in Motion" program. I believe it's for ages 5-12, one night per week for an hour. At the end of the 10 week program, they've conditioned them (through practice and games) to be able to run 1 mile. I'm sure we'll work with them during the week as well - at that point we will have graduated the c25k and will work on endurance with them, though not on very long distances.

Zekela

I think it's good that you are doing this with your kid. When my nephew was about 4 years old and was partially living with me, I took him to martial arts and on my hill runs. When he got tired on the hill, I'd put him on my back and continue. I just made sure that he was properly hydrated.

DavidMartinez2

Colby, the boy from the article I posted, finished his first 100 mile race this weekend.

helpfit101

Here is a post I found:
http://www.realbuzz.com/articles/children-and-running-au-en

I have two sons myself. One of them is fairly fast the other is slower. I haven't taken them out to run myself, but I did tell them to race each other the other day giving the small one a head start.

I would say for a 6-8 year old probably 1-3km as a longest distance is enough.

One danger I read in that article is if you teach your kid to go slowly (to run for distance) he may never learn to be fast. Learning to be fast is more difficult when you're older.

Also running technique is important. I used to land on my heels (which is bad) and I just unlearned that when I was an adult, after a heel injury. It would have been better to have learned it properly when I was young. Also, if they are under/over-pronated when running you might have to seek advice in how to get that corrected before you get them running too much.

They also need good shoes. And.. they might not always be able to feel warning signs (small pains, uncomforts) or be able to translate them to you.

So I would say.. go for it.. mix some sprinting/ longer distance but be careful.