Taking an 11yo to the gym - trainer advice, please!
KareninCanada
Posts: 961 Member
Looking for real tips from people who know what they're talking about - I know there are some genuine fitness types here who can offer solid advice. 
Our gym does allow kids 10+ to attend with a parent, so I'm hoping to tap into someone there for help as well, but I'm not entirely sure what they will have to offer her and I'd like to have a fair idea on my own so I don't misguide her.
My daughter is 11 and in a couple of weeks we are starting a twice-a-week fitness date for the two of us. She likes walking on the treadmill and using the elliptical, and there is also an indoor walking track there. I would like to get her doing a very basic routine of bodyweight exercises as well, and some very very basic lifting exercises. Is there a resource out there that I can use to choose what is appropriate for her age and development, or can one of you trainers give me a good recommendation?
Things that I am thinking are okay - please correct me if I'm wrong? (pushups are out because her wrists physically don't bend all the way back) Squats, crunches on a ball, planks, pullups (eventually), captain's chair (eventually), cable pull-down, cable row, cable rotation (I forget its proper name but the one you pull sideways for torso muscles), bicep and tricep with a 2-lb weight to start, and squats or lunges holding small dumbells.
Am I on the right track? I do know proper form for these, don't worry
Our gym does allow kids 10+ to attend with a parent, so I'm hoping to tap into someone there for help as well, but I'm not entirely sure what they will have to offer her and I'd like to have a fair idea on my own so I don't misguide her.My daughter is 11 and in a couple of weeks we are starting a twice-a-week fitness date for the two of us. She likes walking on the treadmill and using the elliptical, and there is also an indoor walking track there. I would like to get her doing a very basic routine of bodyweight exercises as well, and some very very basic lifting exercises. Is there a resource out there that I can use to choose what is appropriate for her age and development, or can one of you trainers give me a good recommendation?
Things that I am thinking are okay - please correct me if I'm wrong? (pushups are out because her wrists physically don't bend all the way back) Squats, crunches on a ball, planks, pullups (eventually), captain's chair (eventually), cable pull-down, cable row, cable rotation (I forget its proper name but the one you pull sideways for torso muscles), bicep and tricep with a 2-lb weight to start, and squats or lunges holding small dumbells.
Am I on the right track? I do know proper form for these, don't worry
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Replies
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Is it something she wants to do? Most kids this age would prefer a sport or at least some sort of class (I have a daughter this age myself). I think at this age having fun while exercising and learning to love exercise is the most important thing to keep in mind.
If she is interested in lifting and you have enough experience, definitely go ahead. If it feels like a chore to her or if you are yourself a beginner, I would personally not recommend it.
Just my personal opinion as a mother and a gym member for years, not a professional opinion of course.
To add: is there something wrong with her wrists? Because from seeing my kids exercise, push-ups are part of training in several sports starting from preschool, so not being able to physically do them because of wrist issues sounds weird to me.0 -
She can more or less do the things that you do, albeit at a lower intensity and shorter duration. She can do pushups without bending her wrists by doing them with dumbells in her hand
But unless you already have a diagnosis for her wrist issue, you may want to get that checked out by a professional, because a healthy 11 year old shouldn't have wrist flexibility issues.
I bring my kids from time to time and we'll do pushups, pull-ups, the TRX, battle ropes, etc.
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First off, awesome mom for encouraging fitness! To answer your question, it's hard to know without meeting your kid. The gym I teach classes at makes all kids 10+ do a one hour "Iron Kids" class. They keep them on certain weight machines that have their Iron Kids stickers on them and at that it's pretty limited on weight and reps until they are 14. They are not allowed on free weights until 16 unless with a trainer (parent's don't qualify).
As far as group exercise classes, I prefer not to have kids under 12 in my Hiit or Spin classes, 10+ fine for Pilates. Even at 12 in my Hiit class, I only have them use body weight and also you really have to watch form or give them modifications. They are starting to grow quickly and so the same amount of muscle has to cover a larger area so they have really weak cores and hamstrings usually and painful knees. Lots of muscle imbalances. This translates to poor form in most things at that age. Even most spin or exercise bikes are made for people 5 foot tall at a minimum and often it's hard to get safe setup for a kid due to pelvis width and knee alignment.
Agility however is good for kids so maybe you could develop your own Hiit routine using an app like Tabata Pro. You could do things on a timer and make it more of a game.
As far as push ups go, I did strength and conditioning for my son's club soccer team once upon a time. These were 12 year old boys and they would brag about doing 100 push-ups. Of course I knew this was untrue. But they'd try push-ups and form was atrocious for 98% of them (weak core) save for the one kid who'd matured a bit early. Just a disaster waiting to happen down the road for rotator cuffs and AC joints with the quick jolty up and down push up mess they were doing. I just had them hold plank instead. If she can do push ups and has good form, do a few sets of 8-10 and make sure you balance that with some pulling work. Therabands work well for rowing exercise. Imbalance is a big issue for grown ups and kids! Heck very few adults can do a correct push-up! Got start with plank and work up.
Final note and I will get off my soap box. I have trained for years and always think I have good form. And then a trainer at my gym will walk over and say watch your elbows or look at your alignment here, etc. so even though I feel like I know good form, it's harder to do than you think. My 15 yo is finally growing into his body and I signed him up for some half hour sessions with a highly educated trainer to work on proper form and muscle imbalances. Hoping to educate him well and ward off injuries so many of us develop as adults. And I know a lot about good form but there's an art to spotting it.
Again yeah for for taking your kid to the gym. If you are interested there are several youth training books on Amazon that will give you solid advice.0 -
losingitseattle - Thank you for your very well-thought-out reply. I really appreciate your taking the time! I am going to see what resources we have available to us, but there is nothing like IronKids at our facilities. She detests group classes, but likes to do things one-on-one (much like I was at her age, surprise!) And don't worry, I am always willing and eager to accept correction from trainers or those who simply know more than I do! My last workout place was the gym on our military base, so that undid most of my intimidation. lol
DavPul - That's a good suggestion, and now that you mention it, my husband did something similar. He had bought this thing called "The Perfect Pushup or something like that.
aggelikik - She is shy and easily intimidated in groups, and has some self-consciousness about being a little chubby, so sports aren't fun for her, they just feel embarrassing. We tried a group class and it was a total flop. She'd rather do solo activities (swimming has been a good fit), and would like to try this. I'm sure it helps that it is something I enjoy doing, and that it is one of those rare things that she can do alone with me (little sister is too young to go, but the gym has a little kid's play area for up to 9, so they both win).
Her wrists are the same as her dad's, it's just a weird physical quirk. They bend forward just fine, but stop a little short of fully backward. But it does mean she is uncomfortable if her hands get pushed all the way back, and she buckle-fractured both of them a few years ago when she fell and did bend them back too far. So I'm just trying to avoid causing unnecessary joint stress. Her doctor and chiropractor have not shown any concerns.0 -
The no weights until she's 16 is because she can break her growth plates & she might stop growing or start growing at a wierd angle. PLEASE check with her pediatrician 1st.0
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I'm not going to address your post in too much detail, except since I saw you mentioned captains chair I must say please PLEASE be careful with this or don't have her do this. I'm speaking from personal experience...if you cannot properly engage your core, bad things can happen..0
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Nah, that's kinda false. Kids climb trees, jump off high places, play on monkey bars as well as many elite athletes started a 4 years old in sports that require strength like gymnastics, football, baseball, soccer and swimming to name a few.The no weights until she's 16 is because she can break her growth plates & she might stop growing or start growing at a wierd angle. PLEASE check with her pediatrician 1st.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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Body weight exercises and plyometrics are great exercises for kids to do and learn. One thing I have learned from working with parents and kids together is that kids want it to be fun and exciting WITH the parent. Lots of parents get hung up on just personal improvement for themselves and kids would rather just want to engage in fun stuff. So bike riding, swimming, dancing, jump rope, etc. should be thrown in there somewhere to keep the kid interested. With my DD, I've been working on boxing and basic submission holds. She loves it.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition 0 -
KareninCanada wrote: »losingitseattle - Thank you for your very well-thought-out reply. I really appreciate your taking the time! I am going to see what resources we have available to us, but there is nothing like IronKids at our facilities. She detests group classes, but likes to do things one-on-one (much like I was at her age, surprise!) And don't worry, I am always willing and eager to accept correction from trainers or those who simply know more than I do! My last workout place was the gym on our military base, so that undid most of my intimidation. lol
DavPul - That's a good suggestion, and now that you mention it, my husband did something similar. He had bought this thing called "The Perfect Pushup or something like that.
aggelikik - She is shy and easily intimidated in groups, and has some self-consciousness about being a little chubby, so sports aren't fun for her, they just feel embarrassing. We tried a group class and it was a total flop. She'd rather do solo activities (swimming has been a good fit), and would like to try this. I'm sure it helps that it is something I enjoy doing, and that it is one of those rare things that she can do alone with me (little sister is too young to go, but the gym has a little kid's play area for up to 9, so they both win).
Her wrists are the same as her dad's, it's just a weird physical quirk. They bend forward just fine, but stop a little short of fully backward. But it does mean she is uncomfortable if her hands get pushed all the way back, and she buckle-fractured both of them a few years ago when she fell and did bend them back too far. So I'm just trying to avoid causing unnecessary joint stress. Her doctor and chiropractor have not shown any concerns.
As a former chubby kid, and having a child who sounds a lot like your daughter (shy, tends to get chubby easily, self conscious in groups etc), actually I would personally encourage the kid to get into sports and keep trying different things until she finds something she is comfortable with - but definitely something that is in a group, even more so if she hates groups right now. Being in a gym might make actually all the issues end up being worse (I am too fat and need to exercise with these older people, I am not good enough to start a sport, I cannot be in a class or I will do everything wrong, I can never be in a team or everyone will laugh with me etc). I know that this is how I would have thought and how my daughter would end up thinking. Maybe ask her PE teacher for ideas, or at least what he/she thinks about it? Maybe something where kids at different levels work in the same group, so she will not feel bad about being a beginner, like martial arts? Or some other activity that has a specific fun goal, and does not feel like a workout, like e.g. climbing?
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Nah, that's kinda false. Kids climb trees, jump off high places, play on monkey bars as well as many elite athletes started a 4 years old in sports that require strength like gymnastics, football, baseball, soccer and swimming to name a few.The no weights until she's 16 is because she can break her growth plates & she might stop growing or start growing at a wierd angle. PLEASE check with her pediatrician 1st.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Our national sports governing body in Canada considers the following to be the point at which kids can start free weight training: (cut and pasted from their Long Term Athlete Development Model)The onset of the growth spurt, peak height velocity (PHV) (the fastest rate of growth after growth decelerates) and the onset of menarche
are the biological markers
OP, sometimes it takes kids a while to find the right sport. If your daughter enjoys swimming, that would be a great place to start. Maybe you could check out your local club. I see that you are near me. Your local swim club would be the Cold Lake Marlins. If you'd like some info, send me a PM.
To put it in perspective, my son started summer swimming at 11, same age as your daughter, and both my kids started winter club swimming (which the Cold Lake Marlins are) at the ages of 13 (son) and 11 (daughter). Neither were athletes at all prior to swimming. They weren't overweight, but they had no fitness or sports experience due to some health reasons. Now, 8 years later, my son is competing at the national Olympic Trials where he will compete (but doesn't have a shot at) a spot on our Olympic team. For them, it was just a matter of finding the right sport. I also want to add that it took about 2 years of him 'sticking with it' before he really truly became passionate about it and to realize that he could overcome the late entry to the sport. It took a true focus on improving his times and not worrying about what other people were doing. It takes some inner strength to handle starting in dead last, but is a good learning opportunity in itself that hard work pays off.0 -
KareninCanada wrote: »losingitseattle - Thank you for your very well-thought-out reply. I really appreciate your taking the time! I am going to see what resources we have available to us, but there is nothing like IronKids at our facilities. She detests group classes, but likes to do things one-on-one (much like I was at her age, surprise!) And don't worry, I am always willing and eager to accept correction from trainers or those who simply know more than I do! My last workout place was the gym on our military base, so that undid most of my intimidation. lol
DavPul - That's a good suggestion, and now that you mention it, my husband did something similar. He had bought this thing called "The Perfect Pushup or something like that.
aggelikik - She is shy and easily intimidated in groups, and has some self-consciousness about being a little chubby, so sports aren't fun for her, they just feel embarrassing. We tried a group class and it was a total flop. She'd rather do solo activities (swimming has been a good fit), and would like to try this. I'm sure it helps that it is something I enjoy doing, and that it is one of those rare things that she can do alone with me (little sister is too young to go, but the gym has a little kid's play area for up to 9, so they both win).
Her wrists are the same as her dad's, it's just a weird physical quirk. They bend forward just fine, but stop a little short of fully backward. But it does mean she is uncomfortable if her hands get pushed all the way back, and she buckle-fractured both of them a few years ago when she fell and did bend them back too far. So I'm just trying to avoid causing unnecessary joint stress. Her doctor and chiropractor have not shown any concerns.
As a former chubby kid, and having a child who sounds a lot like your daughter (shy, tends to get chubby easily, self conscious in groups etc), actually I would personally encourage the kid to get into sports and keep trying different things until she finds something she is comfortable with - but definitely something that is in a group, even more so if she hates groups right now. Being in a gym might make actually all the issues end up being worse (I am too fat and need to exercise with these older people, I am not good enough to start a sport, I cannot be in a class or I will do everything wrong, I can never be in a team or everyone will laugh with me etc). I know that this is how I would have thought and how my daughter would end up thinking. Maybe ask her PE teacher for ideas, or at least what he/she thinks about it? Maybe something where kids at different levels work in the same group, so she will not feel bad about being a beginner, like martial arts? Or some other activity that has a specific fun goal, and does not feel like a workout, like e.g. climbing?
i agree with this. I send my daughter to swimming, athletics, gymnastics out of the school environment.
Its going to really put her one step ahead when they start getting more serious with PE at school. The athletics at the centre trains them like adults I am really impressed0 -
p.s sounds like a good gym. she could make good use of the indoor track. she could do a jog/walk program0
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Not a negative on your plans OP. I totally respect you, and your knowledge of your child.
But has your daughter ever tried one of the martial arts?
It is personal development in a group setting.
I have a shy, under weight and height grandson who, after 2 weeks just sat watching, ventured onto the mat and took to it like a duck to water. No one cares about size or sex, it is personal performance, but in a group atmosphere.
I was the shy chubby girl and would loved to have been pointed in a non insular, non threatening direction to help me overcome my fears. I am so glad my son took such a brave step with his son and his fears.
Cheers, h.0 -
Body weight exercises and plyometrics are great exercises for kids to do and learn. One thing I have learned from working with parents and kids together is that kids want it to be fun and exciting WITH the parent. Lots of parents get hung up on just personal improvement for themselves and kids would rather just want to engage in fun stuff. So bike riding, swimming, dancing, jump rope, etc. should be thrown in there somewhere to keep the kid interested. With my DD, I've been working on boxing and basic submission holds. She loves it.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
This is the sort of thing that comes to mind when I think of an 11 year old having fun. Not the treadmill, etc., if there are other kids she can do sprints for fun on a track. As shared above make it fun, not exercise... their heads can get really messed up if they worry too much about what they eat and how much they exercise at 11. All the bolded ones above sound far more fun if I was a kid than walking on the treadmill. lol
They can be doing that the rest of their lives if they want. 
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I taught the young boys next door yoga. Kids really take to yoga! Yoga classes aren't intimidating (at the beginner level, anyway), and the challenge of progression is still there for each individual.
Kids like to laugh in yoga instruction more than adults, so if there's a kid's yoga that would be ideal. If not, it would depend on the instructor Or on whether your kid was a serious kid, actually. I was, lol. I had mean ballet teachers who account for that! 0 -
KareninCanada wrote: »Looking for real tips from people who know what they're talking about - I know there are some genuine fitness types here who can offer solid advice. Our gym does allow kids 10+ to attend with a parent, so I'm hoping to tap into someone there for help as well, but I'm not entirely sure what they will have to offer her and I'd like to have a fair idea on my own so I don't misguide her.
My daughter is 11 and in a couple of weeks we are starting a twice-a-week fitness date for the two of us. She likes walking on the treadmill and using the elliptical, and there is also an indoor walking track there. I would like to get her doing a very basic routine of bodyweight exercises as well, and some very very basic lifting exercises. Is there a resource out there that I can use to choose what is appropriate for her age and development, or can one of you trainers give me a good recommendation?
Things that I am thinking are okay - please correct me if I'm wrong? (pushups are out because her wrists physically don't bend all the way back) Squats, crunches on a ball, planks, pullups (eventually), captain's chair (eventually), cable pull-down, cable row, cable rotation (I forget its proper name but the one you pull sideways for torso muscles), bicep and tricep with a 2-lb weight to start, and squats or lunges holding small dumbells.
Am I on the right track? I do know proper form for these, don't worry
I am sorry, you asked for specific advice regarding your daughter and a gym routine, and I went a little off course recommending alternates to the gym date.
In retrospect I realize this is important time for the two of you to grow and develop.
I would get a personal trainer that is qualified in pubescent girls working in the gym, not depend on hooking up with any old trainer. Your daughter is starting on a whole gamut of growth and hormone changes and no one but a specialist in the field can really guide you.
At the least, you could talk to her gym teacher at school to find our what is the recommend work out to supliment your daughter's gym classes at school.
Sorry about the previous martial arts post. It was from the heart.
Cheers, h.
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blankiefinder wrote: »
Nah, that's kinda false. Kids climb trees, jump off high places, play on monkey bars as well as many elite athletes started a 4 years old in sports that require strength like gymnastics, football, baseball, soccer and swimming to name a few.The no weights until she's 16 is because she can break her growth plates & she might stop growing or start growing at a wierd angle. PLEASE check with her pediatrician 1st.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Our national sports governing body in Canada considers the following to be the point at which kids can start free weight training: (cut and pasted from their Long Term Athlete Development Model)The onset of the growth spurt, peak height velocity (PHV) (the fastest rate of growth after growth decelerates) and the onset of menarche
are the biological markers
OP, sometimes it takes kids a while to find the right sport. If your daughter enjoys swimming, that would be a great place to start. Maybe you could check out your local club. I see that you are near me. Your local swim club would be the Cold Lake Marlins. If you'd like some info, send me a PM.
To put it in perspective, my son started summer swimming at 11, same age as your daughter, and both my kids started winter club swimming (which the Cold Lake Marlins are) at the ages of 13 (son) and 11 (daughter). Neither were athletes at all prior to swimming. They weren't overweight, but they had no fitness or sports experience due to some health reasons. Now, 8 years later, my son is competing at the national Olympic Trials where he will compete (but doesn't have a shot at) a spot on our Olympic team. For them, it was just a matter of finding the right sport. I also want to add that it took about 2 years of him 'sticking with it' before he really truly became passionate about it and to realize that he could overcome the late entry to the sport. It took a true focus on improving his times and not worrying about what other people were doing. It takes some inner strength to handle starting in dead last, but is a good learning opportunity in itself that hard work pays off.
Can you translate those Canadian guidelines into English for me?0 -
blankiefinder wrote: »
Nah, that's kinda false. Kids climb trees, jump off high places, play on monkey bars as well as many elite athletes started a 4 years old in sports that require strength like gymnastics, football, baseball, soccer and swimming to name a few.The no weights until she's 16 is because she can break her growth plates & she might stop growing or start growing at a wierd angle. PLEASE check with her pediatrician 1st.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Our national sports governing body in Canada considers the following to be the point at which kids can start free weight training: (cut and pasted from their Long Term Athlete Development Model)The onset of the growth spurt, peak height velocity (PHV) (the fastest rate of growth after growth decelerates) and the onset of menarche
are the biological markers
OP, sometimes it takes kids a while to find the right sport. If your daughter enjoys swimming, that would be a great place to start. Maybe you could check out your local club. I see that you are near me. Your local swim club would be the Cold Lake Marlins. If you'd like some info, send me a PM.
To put it in perspective, my son started summer swimming at 11, same age as your daughter, and both my kids started winter club swimming (which the Cold Lake Marlins are) at the ages of 13 (son) and 11 (daughter). Neither were athletes at all prior to swimming. They weren't overweight, but they had no fitness or sports experience due to some health reasons. Now, 8 years later, my son is competing at the national Olympic Trials where he will compete (but doesn't have a shot at) a spot on our Olympic team. For them, it was just a matter of finding the right sport. I also want to add that it took about 2 years of him 'sticking with it' before he really truly became passionate about it and to realize that he could overcome the late entry to the sport. It took a true focus on improving his times and not worrying about what other people were doing. It takes some inner strength to handle starting in dead last, but is a good learning opportunity in itself that hard work pays off.
Can you translate those Canadian guidelines into English for me?
This page probably puts it into english better: http://www.vcdm.org/global/images/misc/Peak Height Velocity.pdf
There is also a link there to a PHV calculator.0 -
blankiefinder wrote: »blankiefinder wrote: »
Nah, that's kinda false. Kids climb trees, jump off high places, play on monkey bars as well as many elite athletes started a 4 years old in sports that require strength like gymnastics, football, baseball, soccer and swimming to name a few.The no weights until she's 16 is because she can break her growth plates & she might stop growing or start growing at a wierd angle. PLEASE check with her pediatrician 1st.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
Our national sports governing body in Canada considers the following to be the point at which kids can start free weight training: (cut and pasted from their Long Term Athlete Development Model)The onset of the growth spurt, peak height velocity (PHV) (the fastest rate of growth after growth decelerates) and the onset of menarche
are the biological markers
OP, sometimes it takes kids a while to find the right sport. If your daughter enjoys swimming, that would be a great place to start. Maybe you could check out your local club. I see that you are near me. Your local swim club would be the Cold Lake Marlins. If you'd like some info, send me a PM.
To put it in perspective, my son started summer swimming at 11, same age as your daughter, and both my kids started winter club swimming (which the Cold Lake Marlins are) at the ages of 13 (son) and 11 (daughter). Neither were athletes at all prior to swimming. They weren't overweight, but they had no fitness or sports experience due to some health reasons. Now, 8 years later, my son is competing at the national Olympic Trials where he will compete (but doesn't have a shot at) a spot on our Olympic team. For them, it was just a matter of finding the right sport. I also want to add that it took about 2 years of him 'sticking with it' before he really truly became passionate about it and to realize that he could overcome the late entry to the sport. It took a true focus on improving his times and not worrying about what other people were doing. It takes some inner strength to handle starting in dead last, but is a good learning opportunity in itself that hard work pays off.
Can you translate those Canadian guidelines into English for me?
This page probably puts it into english better: http://www.vcdm.org/global/images/misc/Peak Height Velocity.pdf
There is also a link there to a PHV calculator.
Interesting. I was wondering how the trainers at my kids ta kwon do school decide when to move the kids up to the next class, where the basic difference in training is the addition of a couple of strength training sessions per week - mainly dumbbells and TRX. I have noticed not all kids change at the same age, but they definitely change around their big growth spurt, so it looks like these are the guidelines they are following too.0 -
arditarose wrote: »I'm not going to address your post in too much detail, except since I saw you mentioned captains chair I must say please PLEASE be careful with this or don't have her do this. I'm speaking from personal experience...if you cannot properly engage your core, bad things can happen..
Good to know, thank you!0 -
middlehaitch wrote: »Not a negative on your plans OP. I totally respect you, and your knowledge of your child.
But has your daughter ever tried one of the martial arts?
It is personal development in a group setting.
I have a shy, under weight and height grandson who, after 2 weeks just sat watching, ventured onto the mat and took to it like a duck to water. No one cares about size or sex, it is personal performance, but in a group atmosphere.
I was the shy chubby girl and would loved to have been pointed in a non insular, non threatening direction to help me overcome my fears. I am so glad my son took such a brave step with his son and his fears.
Cheers, h.
Yes, and she very much enjoys it. She reached her orange belt in Shotokan last year. Unfortunately the club where we live now meets on two nights when we can't make it, and won't allow her younger sister to participate, so we are taking this year off.Hearts_2015 wrote:This is the sort of thing that comes to mind when I think of an 11 year old having fun. Not the treadmill, etc.,
Trust me, that is her own preference. She would rather walk the treadmill with earbuds in, or a book on the panel, than do most of what you listed. And while it seems like torture to me, both of my kids think an elliptical is fun. We all have different personalities. *shrug*
I left out - because it wasn't relevant to the question - that we homeschool so the various things we do ARE her PE, and that she is in swim classes already, and skating, and of course we do the normal stuff like walking and biking, etc. And they play outside when it's warm. But it's Alberta, and it's January, so we aren't doing much outside for the next five months. Was just looking for tips specific to this particular addition to our lifestyle. 0 -
blankiefinder wrote: »OP, sometimes it takes kids a while to find the right sport. If your daughter enjoys swimming, that would be a great place to start. Maybe you could check out your local club. I see that you are near me. Your local swim club would be the Cold Lake Marlins. If you'd like some info, send me a PM.
Thanks for the reminder to update my profile! lol I know the Marlins well - we were considering that for this year and then we moved.0 -
KareninCanada wrote: »blankiefinder wrote: »OP, sometimes it takes kids a while to find the right sport. If your daughter enjoys swimming, that would be a great place to start. Maybe you could check out your local club. I see that you are near me. Your local swim club would be the Cold Lake Marlins. If you'd like some info, send me a PM.
Thanks for the reminder to update my profile! lol I know the Marlins well - we were considering that for this year and then we moved.
If you moved somewhere with a summer or winter club, I would highly recommend considering it. It really is completely different from swim lessons. Swim lessons teach you to swim so you can go have fun. Swim club teaches you to train, and many continue that habit for the rest of their life. It also teaches self discipline, time management etc. (Sorry, I know you only asked about the lifting) Some clubs have a non-competitive program for kids who aren't sure they want to compete.0 -
KareninCanada wrote: »blankiefinder wrote: »OP, sometimes it takes kids a while to find the right sport. If your daughter enjoys swimming, that would be a great place to start. Maybe you could check out your local club. I see that you are near me. Your local swim club would be the Cold Lake Marlins. If you'd like some info, send me a PM.
Thanks for the reminder to update my profile! lol I know the Marlins well - we were considering that for this year and then we moved.
omg you really *are* close to me LOL0
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