Insanity too tough for a 12 year old?

kimn · January 2011

I know this is a tough question without knowing the specifics of the particular child and their fitness level, but I a bit nervous about my daughter starting Insanity with me. She is an athlete and plays soccer and softball. As most of you with kids know, at 12 they do not do alot of conditioning with the kids at this age in sports yet. By nature of being 12 and relatively fit she just picks up where she left off lest season without much effort.

She did the fit test with me and hung in there pretty well. She was winded and tired, but nothing extreme. I guess my main concern is she is very thin (5 1" and about 85#) and I worry this may be too tough for her body. So my question is, has anybody ever seen a young kid do this workout and how did they fare?

Thanks!
Kim

TByrd1325 · January 2011

Your best option, I believe, is to call her pediatrician, explain the program, and take their advice.

erickirb · January 2011

I would assume that it is okay as there is not a lot of resistance training. I started playing football at age 11 and there was a lot of running and other conditioning on top of the contact. You can check with her doctor, you can also encourage her to take breaks and not to overwork herself.

SHBoss1673 · January 2011

I don't see any reason why she can't do it physically. As long it's under adult supervision. Make sure mentally she is ready for it though. Make sure she knows that it is difficult, and it's ok to modify it to her limits, and that she stays hydrated, and if she feels dizzy or nauseous or anything like that, she should stop.

On a side note, children tend not to do well with these kinds of program, simply because it's not based around tangible goals or fun. That's why team sports are so good for children, they have goals and results that they can work toward. but if she likes it, then go for it. For children, the main focus should be that they enjoy the activity, not the level of intensity. If you're worried about her physically, maybe ask her to join in for 1/2 the program. There's no reason she can't do some and not all.

bpayne78 · January 2011

I can't speak about knowing a child who's done it (due to health issues I haven't even been able to complete it :sad: )

I do, however, have a 9 year old boy who is also very slim. He's about 4'8 or 4'9 (haven't measured him in a while) and only weighs about 64/65 lbs. He's always worn "slims" in every size of pants he's ever worn. My concern for him (and would be for your daughter as well) is that would he (she) be able to eat enough to counteract the weight loss that Insanity would provide. It is very intense (as I'm sure you know) and it seems from the numbers you provided that your daughter doesn't really need to lose weight. I think if she's an athlete already and has had some conditioning by playing sports, I personally think she would be ok. However, if I were you, I would watch her weight and food intake to insure her weight doesn't drop too low. I think for a conditioning aspect Insanity would be great as it is very 'sport drill' oriented.

All that being said.......I think the very best thing is to talk to her pediatrician/doctor. He/she would be able to give you more guidance as far as frequency of doing the workouts (is fewer days best or could she do the 6 days/wk?) as well as her nutritional needs if she does the program.

Good luck and glad to see both that she's interested in staying in shape and that you are trying to provide her with the best way of doing that in a healthy way.

Amandac6772 · January 2011

Your best option, I believe, is to call her pediatrician, explain the program, and take their advice.

Exactly since she is still developing and on the thin side anyway I would check with her doctor.

kimn · January 2011

Thanks all! I will check with her Ped and see what they say. I think my daughter is sort of like her Mom in that she doesn't like to be told she can't do something. When I said I thought this program might be too intense for her she clenched her little fists and said "oh yeah????" LOL

Thanks for the input!

mmtiernan · January 2011

My 15 year old daughter has done Insanity and ChaLEAN Extreme with me. As someone else mentioned, you need to be careful because she is still growing which means that her 'growth plates' will continue to shift and are vulnerable to the stress and pounding. With my daughter, the rule is use good form and do it at a steady pace, taking a break if you are tired. Good form is a must. Insanity can be hard on the knees and ankles especially. Anytime that I see my daughter is over doing it or her form is suffering, I make her take a break and we correct her form to ensure that she knows how to do it properly.

Having said all of that, my daughter and I love working out together! It is a great way to spend some quality time and we both look forward to our workouts every day! It also sets the stage for keeping the exercise habit all throughout her life.

Hope this helps and good luck!

hotpickles · January 2011

When I was 12, I never sat still. I remember back then I was into competitive swimming and skating, track and field, and just running around playing tag with friends until the street lights came on. However, I think something like Insanity would be different, because it is so structured. I'm not sure it would be the same kind of "fun" activity.

But then again, I do remember doing fit tests and stuff in grade school, and it was push ups, sit ups, suicides, running around the school perimeter, etc. Everything is just more fun when you are younger, LOL

L.

mlb929 · January 2011

My 9 yo and 11 yo both do P90X with me. They are both small - my 11 yo just cleared 60lbs last week and he's 5' tall. The weight lifting has been good for him, but I make him keep the weights light, no build muscle, but tone. They both love plyometrics and kenpo, the cardio parts of P90X. We've done it for about 5 weeks now and they have not problems. My 11 yo runs with me as well 5-9 miles on weekends and he's done just fine with both of these workouts in one day. He does have to eat a bigger breakfast and bigger lunch and they both seem to sleep better at night I've notice. I say go for it, I doubt a 12yo would continue doing it if she was too tired or uncomfortable. I asked friend that is a Dr before my kids started and he didn't see a problem with it as long as I wasn't pushing them and they were staying in check with their other activities.

rushmangg · February 2012

I dont see why she couldnt my 12 year old son worked all sixty days with me as he was over we..ight 175 lbs so this shoul.d not be a challenge for her. Just imagine... who would last longer a 85 pounder or 175 pounder? the 175 woul

d drop wAy before the 85 lbs

Insanity too tough for a 12 year old?

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