Light weightlifting is safe for children under proper supervision

The CDC recommends that all children stay active, especially kids over the age of 6, who should get an hour or more of daily activity to stay healthy. 

Viral videos online from popular gym accounts often show young kids lifting weights. The videos sometimes spark concerns about the safety of the children involved and whether doing so could stunt their growth.

On a video purporting to show a 10-year-old lifting weights, one commenter wrote: “I really want to know if it is harmful when u start exercising this young?” Another person speculated the heavy lifting “could do damage for his young age.”

VERIFY viewer Ignacio reached out on Instagram to ask about the safety of young kids weightlifting.

THE QUESTION

Does weightlifting stunt growth in children?

THE SOURCES

THE ANSWER

Kids can safely lift with light to moderate weights, proper techniques, and professional supervision. But if weights are handled improperly, lifting risks include injuries to growth plates, which could cause longer-term bone problems. 

WHAT WE FOUND

The idea that lifting weights stunts growth in children is fueled by the idea that it could be damaging to their growth plates, the soft areas of tissue near the ends of long bones that determine the length and shape of the fully grown bone. 

“The thought was that putting too much pressure on the growth plates would lead to damage and then the skeleton wouldn’t grow well,” Rebecca Carl, M.D. said. “But as it turns out, that's not true at all. Most injuries with weightlifting -- they happen from improperly handling the weights.”

Since growth plates are not solid bone, they are vulnerable to injuries. According to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, growth plate injuries can result from “a single traumatic event, such as a fall or automobile accident, or from chronic stress and overuse.”  

If a child faces injury to their growth plates, it could stunt their growth. The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases reports that if growth plate injury is severe or left untreated, the bone may grow “crooked or slightly longer or shorter than expected.” They add that if treatment is immediate, most children can recover without any bone growth issues.

A 2018 report published in the Journal of Clinical Orthopaedics and Trauma shares that 18-30% of bone fractures among children are growth plate fractures, and of those injuries 5-10% result in the stunting of bone growth known as “bone arrest.”

Considering these risks, weightlifting can still be safe for children as long as they are properly supervised and follow instructions.

“Strength training is not harmful to the growth plates when done in supervised settings using low weight and high repetitions,” says the American Academy of Pediatrics. In fact, they say that weightlifting can even be safer than playing contact sports like soccer, football, and basketball. 

A review published in Sports Health shares multiple studies that show the benefits of weight training for children. One study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning research in 1996 followed 15 children between the ages of 7 and 12 as they did strength training programs twice a week for eight weeks. No injuries occurred during the training program and they noted significant increases in chest press and leg extension strength for children that did the program compared to those that did not.  

How young a child can start weightlifting depends on a variety of factors. Most kids can begin weight training as early as 7 years old, according to pediatric care experts and the American Academy of Pediatrics. “Balance and posture skills typically mature to adult levels by this age,” according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. “It’s better to wait until they’re a grade school child where they’ve already mastered some of the movements associated with sport,” adds Patrick Mularoni, M.D.

The goal of strength training with younger kids is to work on the motion rather than trying to lift heavy weights, says Patrick Mularoni, M.D. Kids “are not supposed to be lifting like adults in a gym,” he added. He recommends that children use low weights with 15-20 repetitions and work towards precise control of the weights. The Sports Health review also notes that a good range for children to start off with is 10-15 repetitions.  

It is important to use judgment before allowing a child to lift weights. Younger children must be able to follow proper safety guidelines. 

Rebecca Carl, M.D. recommends that kids build a proper progression of activity to work up to lifting weights, starting with simple bodyweight exercises like sit ups or push ups. Once they have mastered those, “children should have a year or two of experience with lower amounts of weight before they move into higher amounts.” 

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a child be evaluated by a pediatrician before participating in strength training in case there are other health concerns.

In a St. Louis Children’s Hospital blog post, Jeffrey Nepple, M.D., shares additional tips to keep in mind with children who are weightlifting. 

While children are able to practice strength training safely by weightlifting, there are weight training activities they should still avoid doing until their bodies have fully developed. Activities like powerlifting, bodybuilding, and maximal lifts should be avoided until kids reach skeletal and physical maturity in their later teen years. “Children can’t really put on muscle bulk the way that adults can,” says Rebecca Carl, M.D.