Hold the horses – the child’s body must mature.
Winter, peasant, triumphant … Oh, no, not that. January, holidays, family leisure, outdoor activities. Where winter has come, mothers, fathers, children are drawn to the skating rinks. Some even try to follow the example of Yana Rudkovskaya and Tatyana Navka – they put their kids on the ice when they were barely 2 – 3 years old. But is it right? Will not such zeal harm your health?
Is it possible to raise an athlete without harm to health? We asked our expert about this.
It is better to send children to the section no earlier than 6-7 years old, if, of course, you care about his health, and not about the future career of a professional athlete. They can take to the Olympic schools earlier, but everything is aimed only at the result. At 6-7 years old, choose a sport where flexibility develops, but there is still no load on the skeleton. From 9 to 11 years old, you can go to team sports.
Since birth – classes in the pool with mom.
Since 3 years – children’s fitness with mom.
Since 5 years – ballet, dancing.
Since 6 years – acrobatics, judo, wushu, sambo, figure skating, skiing.
Since 7 years – hockey, karate, hand-to-hand fighting, freestyle wrestling, tennis, table tennis, swimming, gymnastics for girls.
Since 8 years – equestrian sports, karate, aikido, judo, cheerleading, modern dances, oriental dances, fencing, golf, gymnastics for boys.
Since 9 years – football, yoga, taekwondo, handball.
Since 10 years – triathlon, basketball, volleyball, snowboarding.
Since 12 years – boxing, kickboxing, mountaineering, rowing, powerlifting.
There is nothing more useful than general physical fitness. Two lessons a week is of little use if the child sits at the computer the rest of the time. Ideally, he should be actively moving 3-4 hours a day. So, at the age of 6-7, children need to walk 20-30 thousand steps every day, older children – already 40 thousand. But in our time, when everyone drives cars and sits at computers, it is difficult to provide a child with such a regime. Therefore, more and more children are obese – due to improper diet and physical inactivity.
The main stress in sports falls on the cardiovascular system, and it should be in order. Therefore, first of all, we do an ECG. If, according to the results of the examination, the doctor finds any changes, the child will be sent for an ultrasound of the heart. The main concern of doctors is how the heart will react to increased stress.
ECG results and a general examination by a pediatrician are usually sufficient. By the way, all qualified sections now require a certificate from a doctor. If the pediatrician finds abnormalities, for example, deformities of the feet, which are already causing complaints, he sends the child to an orthopedist. But in this case, the child is unlikely to be allowed to play sports, only physical therapy.
It happens that parents, having come for help, are silent about the child’s past illnesses. In order not to provoke an exacerbation, be honest with your doctors. There are diseases (atopic dermatitis, bronchial asthma) in which you can go in for sports, but in remission. If the child is on supportive therapy, sections are out of the question.
Talk to the trainer, it is his job to assess the load. Yes, with adaptation, the child will sleep more, he will have an increased appetite. However, the loads in the sections are calculated according to age. There is a preparatory, middle, senior group, so as not to overload the child – after all, this is harmful for his sports success.
And, of course, the child should enjoy sports. When choosing a section, first of all consider his wishes. Be prepared that he will change more than one sport before deciding on a choice.