Crossfit for Kids

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are you or your husband scrawny? Nothing can really be done about genetics.

No, not scrawny at all. I am very slim but not scrawny either. I think its his meds. Adderrall is a huge appetite suppressant.

Because of his lack of coordination, he has shied away from sports and now he finds himself 11 yrs old with zero endurance and strength.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are you sure he can't go to the gym with you? My gym doesn't have an age limit. You just have to be a certain size that's safe to use the machines. And free weights can definitely be used.

That being said. I don't like crossfit for a lot of reasons, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't give a try and see if he likes it. Different things work for different people.

I think having someone work with him one on one is extremely helpful though, unless he enjoys the team aspect of things. You'll just have to keep working at it until you find something he likes.

I would have to check to make sure regarding age limit of my gym. I would have to take him when gym is dead though as I would not want him "getting in the way" of people who are there to really work out.

I may look into TKWND. He doesn't like team sports only because he cant keep up. No way on earth could he play on any kind of team right now.

[Anonymous]

We belong to Kang's Black Belt Academy in Sandy Spring. Our DS takes karate there, but there are a variety of fitness classes for parents with kids. I see a few kids in Zumba and Cage Fitness (which is sort of like crossfit with a punching bag).

[Anonymous]

You could consider speed and agility training. It will incorporate some of the body weight exercises, but with science and a plan behind it. It will help with coordination and maybe he will like running - sprint or distance - and it never hurts to be fast at any age. You can find SAQ (speed/agility/quickness) or SPARQ (nike's equivalent) instructors. They are in demand to work with Hugh school athletes but they have classes for younger kids as well.

[Anonymous]

Thanks PPs! love the agility training idea. going to research that asap.

we are in Bethesda so need to find someone within a 5 mile radius of here otherwise it will become a huge chore trying to get anywhere after school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here - thank you!

Reason I'm asking is that my 11 yr old DS is very scrawny and weak..no other way to say it. He is on ADHD meds so his appetite is small but he also has coordination challenges. We've already gone the route of "special gyms", all of which are super $$ and honestly, not giving him what he needs. These programs are overkill in that they really cater more to children with much greater special needs and do not push him as hard as he needs to or can be pushed. I also believe these programs CAN feed into his own belief that he is "not as good at sports or fitness as his peers" - so it turns into self-fulfilling prophecy...for him at least.

He keeps asking me to take him to the gym with me but can't do that since he's only 11. I guess what I really need is a personal trainer/gym teacher type for him. Especially if he ever wants to play a team sport.

Guess I will look for a personal trainer or college kid - someone he can look up to an emulate. Dad would do it but he works till 8 most evenings. And DS needs more than just weekends.

thanks and if anyone has suggestions, I am open to hearing them.

Get your kid to a martial arts class, even if it's just one at the Y or a community center. Martial arts classes do a lot of body weight training and will build strength. They also are terrific for coordination and self-confidence. Because of the belt system, each student progresses at his/her own rate, and the teacher is primarily looking for hard work and progress. Our dojo is incredibly supportive of kids with SN and we have a bunch of them, along with NT kids. This is the sweetest group of kids you could ever want to meet. They look out for each other.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know the owner of a crossfit gym that seriously injured himself and ended up with surgery and in the hospital. great guy, very knowledgable, but there are some things the body isn't supposed to do. to each his own, but some of the stuff is really over the top. it does give self esteem to complete some of these things, but that doesn't mean everyone should do it.

i dropped a weight plate on my foot at my regular/non CF gym last week. Does that mean I should no longer lift weights or exercise? I also knew a guy in high school who was injured and hospitalized in a soccer accident, does that mean soccer is dangerous and no one should play it? You can get injured doing any activity. Heck I pulled a muscle in my neck when i turned it too fast getting up one morning. I am not saying that there aren't some dangers to crossfit. Olympic lifts can be dangerous and you can get injured if you don't know how to properly bail on a lift. A top left CF competitor was recently paralyzed performing a snatch at a competition. At the same time I don’t think it means it is inherently unsafe or that everyone will get injured doing it. You need to know you limits and know when to say when. You also need to educate yourself on the moves and find a gym with trainers who know their stuff- beyond just having passed the general CF certification

Any sport that has a nickname for rhabdomyalysis has issues.

Injury rates comparable to gymnastics are nothing to brag about. Gymnastics is one of the most dangerous sports out there, and CrossFitters aren't throwing themselves around on beams or vaults. They're injuring themselves without the crash risk. They have more shoulder injuries than Olympic lifters and are prone to back injuries.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eric-robertson/crossfit-rhabdomyolysis_b_3977598.html

http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/Jill+Barker+CrossFit+enthusiasts+more+prone+injury/9378469/story.html

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You could consider speed and agility training. It will incorporate some of the body weight exercises, but with science and a plan behind it. It will help with coordination and maybe he will like running - sprint or distance - and it never hurts to be fast at any age. You can find SAQ (speed/agility/quickness) or SPARQ (nike's equivalent) instructors. They are in demand to work with Hugh school athletes but they have classes for younger kids as well.

+1 Great post