Most parents and grandmothers strive to feed their babies, because they need to grow and gain strength. But not many of them know that excessive food consumption can harm the child and can sometimes be worse than starvation.
Grandmothers love and know how to cook high-calorie breakfasts, lunches and dinners. But excessive consumption of various goodies can lead to excess weight. Another problem has become how modern children spend their free time. Most often they sit at computers or on phones without any physical activity. And only when the problem becomes obvious to others, relatives begin to ask the question: “how to help a child lose weight and what actions need to be taken?” But the baby was barely 5-6 years old.
Excess weight is a problem
When a child is small, you just want to kiss his chubby cheeks and folds. And when he grows up, excess weight becomes a problem. What are the real causes of excess weight in preschoolers?
- The child eats inappropriate food. His menu often includes fast food and convenience foods. It seems that it’s easier for an adult to cook less, but all this will later affect the health of your child;
- irregular and incorrect meals. Very often, children do not have breakfast, but live on snacks between lunch and dinner. And it happens that a child simply eats up before bed;
- minimal or no physical activity. Modern children move very little, because gadgets have become their main hobbies;
- stress;
- bad heredity. It often happens that the baby’s parents are prone to being overweight, then there is a possibility that the baby will also suffer from excess weight;
- Diseases (congenital or acquired). Often problems with the gastrointestinal tract lead to obesity;
- hormonal imbalances in the body. Typically, at the age of 10-12, children begin adolescence and a surge in hormones can cause obesity problems.
Many people believe that excess weight is simply excess fat under a layer of skin. But in fact, obesity impairs many body functions.
- the functioning of internal organs is disrupted. The heart and endocrine system, stomach, intestines and liver suffer;
- Overweight children develop flat feet. They often slouch, and because of this, curvature of the spine develops;
- children suffer from excessive sweating;
- overweight children suffer from skin rashes more often than others;
- Psychological problems also develop. Overweight children are often not accepted by the children's team. Fat people spend a lot of time alone, they develop an inferiority complex and may become depressed;
- Girls puberty occurs earlier than usual.
Mistakes in the gym and at home when performing the Bench Press exercise
Typically, unsuccessful approaches occur when the weight on the bar exceeds your maximum possible. Then the “dancing” begins with the barbell, which you want to throw off yourself as quickly as possible. There is a danger when performing any exercise, but the bench press always requires a partner, since you are working with heavy weights. The muscles work at maximum capacity, and when they fail, there will be no strength. The barbell may fall onto your chest when bench pressing.
Your partner will always help you raise it . And if it is not there, then there is always one way - either roll it along the body down to the legs, or drop the barbell to one side to remove the load from the chest. The worst thing is when the barbell ends up on your throat. Then you need to move the barbell to the side and try to get out in the opposite direction from the one where you removed the weight of the barbell. Then you need to lift one side of the bar with the least weight to get out. And this will be a lesson to you that the bench press should always be performed with a partner who will help you!
How to motivate overweight kids to lose weight
Teenagers understand that being overweight can cause a lot of problems. Therefore, many teenagers strive to lose weight on their own. But how to explain to a 7-9 year old child that he must change his lifestyle, give up his usual menu and start playing sports regularly. At this age, boys and girls do not yet have sufficient self-control. However, there are some practical tips on how to motivate elementary school children to lose weight.
- Be an example for your child. Start doing exercises in the morning together, have oatmeal for breakfast and give up processed foods. Agree, this will make it easier to convince your child to follow a healthy lifestyle;
- turn the process of losing weight into a game: start a competition to see who can lose weight the fastest. Let it be a competition between mom and dad to begin with. And then invite your son or daughter to take part.
- children love to help adults. Ask your baby for help and support. Tell him that mom or dad simply can’t cope without him;
- Offer some gift to your child for the achieved result. For example, as soon as the arrow on the scale shows 1-2 kg less, buy him a bicycle or skates. You can also go to the mountains for the weekend with the whole family. Make sure that the reward is useful and does not harm the weight loss process;
- Let every kilogram you lose be a holiday. Explain to your baby that this is good for his health and that he can handle it just fine.
How to organize classes?
Children react harshly to demands and are offended by hints about being overweight, but they can be introduced to physical education with the help of little tricks. A child who is passionate about sports will willingly and eagerly perform all the exercises, prove himself in classes and achieve results. Parental example serves as motivation and impetus for children to take action. If the family talks about sports and plays them, the child, watching active parents, gradually acquires sports habits.
To start regular exercise with your child, you will have to change your family's lifestyle.
Give your baby some time to observe the training, and then gently involve him in the process. During classes, show attention and care to the child, encourage him and do not overdo it with the coaching rigor. It is also forbidden to overexert the baby, especially in the first stages.
Start with exercises in the morning; gymnastics of medium difficulty for boys and girls 10 years old lasts from 20 minutes to an hour.
Objectives of exercises for weight loss:
- Restoring normal levels of physical activity;
- Burning calories;
- Establishing a balance between energy consumption and energy consumption.
- We recommend reading about gymnastics at home
Should children lose weight quickly?
Parents think that the baby will become slim within a month after starting a diet and exercise. But in fact, the rate of weight loss depends on various factors: the gender and weight of the child, his metabolism, the effectiveness of exercise and concomitant diseases.
Children usually lose weight faster than adults. Sometimes mothers speed up the weight loss process because they don’t see the desired result. But they don't understand that rapid weight loss can harm a growing body more than body fat. Poor nutrition and excessive exercise contribute to the development of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, heart and other organs.
Here it is important to understand that in losing weight, it is not speed that is important, but a rational approach. The baby's nutrition should be such that he receives all the necessary carbohydrates, fats, proteins and vitamins. In this case, the child must receive sufficient physical activity.
Benefits of Cardio for Teens
In addition to performing bodyweight exercises, teens can do any type of cardio at the gym, including an exercise bike, elliptical, treadmill, and rowing machine. The best choice for this would be a rowing machine.
Rowing is a sport that involves both the legs and the upper body. The rowing machine develops endurance, strengthens the cardiovascular system - and also has an extremely effective effect on improving the proportions of the figure in adolescents.
However, let us remind you once again that full-fledged strength training equipment, barbells and dumbbells are not recommended for training boys under 17-18 years of age. Not only do they place vertical stress on the spine, but they can also lead to an excessive increase in testosterone - which stunts body growth.
***
New Fitseven materials, 5 times a week - in telegram:
- fit7seven
The first rule of training for teenagers is to develop a habit, which will require regular exercise for at least 28 days. In addition, until the age of 17-18 years, it is better for boys to limit themselves to exercises with body weight - avoiding barbells, dumbbells and exercise machines.
Scientific sources:
- Creating Exercise Habits Using Incentives: The Tradeoff between Flexibility and Routinization, pdf
- Testosterone and Child and Adolescent Adjustment: The Moderating Role of Parent-Child Relationships, source
Balanced nutrition for weight adjustment
In order to eat rationally, it is important not only to choose the right foods, but also to eat them correctly. It is important to follow the following rules:
- eat small meals up to 6 times a day;
- Eat high-calorie foods in the morning;
- buy fresh food;
- eat slowly, chew food thoroughly. It is advisable to turn off the TV and put away the book/gadget or foreign objects that distract you;
- Don't use meals as rewards or punishments.
Serve food in small portions and set the table beautifully. This will make your food look bright and appetizing. Below you will find a list of foods that you should not eat or should cut down when losing weight:
Avoid:
- sweets (cakes, ice cream, candies, cookies)
- various sodas;
- fast food, chips and crackers;
- shelf-stable products;
- products with dyes and additives;
- fried and smoked
Reduce your use:
- of bread;
- fresh milk;
- potatoes;
- nuts and dried fruits;
- fatty meats;
- canned foods;
- Fruit and dark chocolate;
- pasta;
- salt
Products for losing weight:
- raw and stewed vegetables;
- cereals (with a little added oil)
- chicken, rabbit, beef, turkey (stewed, boiled, baked);
- egg yolks;
- low-fat varieties of fish (stewed, boiled, baked);
- unsweetened fruits (raw or baked);
- fresh juices;
- compotes (from fruits and dried fruits);
- vegetable soups;
- unsweetened and low-fat fermented milk products.
Weekly home workout program
Exercises in a training program for teenagers should involve all superficial muscle groups.
The first is a warm-up for 10 minutes, and after that comes the training itself.
You should exercise 3 times a week using a circular pattern.
Perform each exercise for 30 seconds + 30 seconds rest, then proceed to the next one.
All exercises are performed in 2-3 circles, which take 8 minutes.
If the exercise is bilateral, then it is performed for 30 seconds on each side.
1 day:
- Boxing – imitate punches in boxing by throwing your arms, springing on your feet with soft knees.
- Raising your leg. Grasp the support with your hand and grab your waist with the other. Raise your leg until it is parallel to the floor. You can make the exercise more difficult by squatting on the other leg.
- Static bar. Can be done on the palms and forearms.
- Bridge leg raises. Lie down on the mat with your pelvis raised. Knees are bent and on the floor. Push your lower limb up and down without touching the floor with your pelvis.
- Ankle touching. In the same position, alternately touch your feet or ankles with your hands. Raise your shoulders slightly.
Day 2:
- Raise your knee to the opposite elbow.
- Squat plie. Spread your legs wide with your feet turned outward. Place your hands on your hips. Squat slowly so that your pelvis drops perpendicular to the floor. The back remains straight.
- "Hunting Dog" Get on your hands and knees. Raise your opposite arm and leg so they form a straight line. Hold the pose as long as you can, return to the original position and repeat for the other pair of limbs.
- Hip adduction while lying on your side. Take a pose on your side, leaning on your upper limb. Raise the leg lying on top until it is perpendicular to the floor, return the leg back without lowering it completely.
- Leg raises. Stand straight and extend your arms in front of your chest. Raise your legs one at a time so that they touch your outstretched arms.
- Russian twist. Sit on the mat with your knees bent. Grasp the other with one hand. Turn your upper body to the side, freezing for 5 seconds at the farthest point. Repeat on the other side.
Charging for the whole family
Exercise should become a daily routine for the whole family. Agree, it’s not so easy to persuade a baby to do physical exercises in the morning if dad is lying on the couch watching TV. Start with a few exercises, and then you can increase the physical activity.
If your son or daughter needs help with exercise, help him. Later you can ask your child to help you.
Home workouts or gym workouts
Teenagers under 16 years of age are not recommended to work with additional weights. Exercises with your own weight (horizontal bar, parallel bars, push-ups, abs) will be quite enough to maintain the muscle corset in good shape and prevent muscle dystrophy. Therefore, you can exercise not only in the gym, but also practice training at home (if you have the necessary equipment at home) or on the sports ground in the yard. The main thing in fitness is regularity and correct exercise technique.
If you do not have the opportunity to work out with a trainer in the gym, you can independently master the technique of performing the exercise using videos or pictures. But the main rule of self-training at home is to focus on your physical sensations. If you feel muscle pain, tingling in your chest, or numbness while doing the exercise, stop and seek advice from a specialist. A little discomfort is normal; pain is a contraindication to training.
If there are special features in the development of your body (diseases of the cardiovascular system, musculoskeletal system, etc.), you should only exercise under the supervision of a trainer. A qualified trainer will develop a specialized training program tailored specifically to your abilities and needs.
The presence of a trainer will allow you to develop the correct technique; he will not only tell you, but also help you physically correctly position your body in space, correctly distribute the load, tell you which dead spots you are not using, and how exactly to work with a certain muscle group. That is why the quality of training with a personal trainer is many times higher.
Weekend in nature
During the period of losing weight, it is extremely important to spend time in the fresh air. If you see that your child has problems with excess weight, then going outdoors should become a favorite hobby for your family. In the summer, you can go to bodies of water, because swimming is the best way to burn extra calories. In general, visit different places to make it interesting for your child.
Your son or daughter should perceive an outing into nature as a relaxation and a joyful event. They should expect it and rejoice every time. Remember also that family outings will bring your family together and improve the health of each of you. And the child will be happy that he spends such interesting and fun time with mom and dad.
How to gain muscle mass as a teenager
Training program for a month (two to three times a week). Before starting the workout, you should do a joint warm-up for 10 minutes, and also jump rope for 5-10 minutes without a break to prepare the body for the load.
The training program is designed to work all major muscle groups (chest, abs, legs, biceps, triceps, back) taking into account an understanding of how to correctly perform exercises from a technical point of view.
How to calculate the load correctly?
In each approach where there is a certain number of repetitions, you should leave a reserve of no more than 3 repetitions. If the margin is greater, then it is necessary to increase the load to a margin of three repetitions. If these are squats, then you need to pick up dumbbells and perform the exercise.
Leisure
Going out into nature does not mean having a get-together, as many people think. This way, excess weight will never leave you. Ride your bike to the park, take a ball to the pond, and look for mushrooms in the forest or organize a competition.
In winter you can go skiing or skating, play snowballs or build a snowman. If you decide to go outside for a short time, do not take a car, but just walk.
Training program for girls at home and in the gym
If boys want to develop all muscle groups and pump up their muscle mass, then girls want to pump up their legs, abs, and back, since they don’t need strong arms and broad shoulders. This training program is just for those who want to pump up their legs, buttocks, abs, and back.
Training program for a month (two to three times a week). Before starting the workout, you should do a joint warm-up for 10 minutes, and also jump rope for 5-10 minutes (without a break) to prepare the body for the load.
After a month of training, you will notice that your muscles have become more resilient and stronger. You shouldn’t do a lot of exercises at once; it’s a beginner’s mistake to do a lot of exercises on the same muscle group at once. To pump them up, you need a measure of load. Then the result will undoubtedly be, you just have to start training.
1 / 2 / 3 / 4 week
Monday – day of legs, buttocks, abs, back
- Kneeling push-ups on a mat 8-15 reps 3 sets
- Classic squats 10-20 reps 3 sets
- Lunges with dumbbells in place 8-10 reps 3 sets
- Standing deadlift with dumbbells 8-10 times 3 sets
- Plank 3 sets 30-50 seconds
- Dorsal Curl 15-20 reps 3 sets
- Stretching all muscle groups after training – 10 min.
Thursday – day of legs, buttocks, abs, back
- Lunges in place with dumbbells 3 sets 8-10 times
- Leg abduction to the side on the buttock (leg straight) 3 sets 20-30 times
- Deadlift with dumbbells 3 sets 10 reps
- Plank press 3 sets 30-60 seconds
- Dorsal Curl 15-20 reps 3 sets
- Stretching all muscle groups after training – 10 min (leg muscles)
Exercises for losing weight
Today you can easily fight extra pounds at home. There are many complexes and exercises on the Internet that help girls and boys of different ages lose weight.
- walking in place (need to be repeated for 2-3 minutes);
- running in place (3-4 minutes);
- squatting and jumping (to begin with, do 4 times, and then you can gradually increase)
- Jumping on a small chair;
- exercises with dumbbells.
Start doing the exercises 2-3 times a week for 15 minutes. This way, physical exercise should become a habit and you will do it automatically in the morning.
How to create an effective set of classes
At the age of 12-13 years, an effective set of activities will accelerate growth, strengthen the body, and lay the foundation for further development. Such a complex is compiled individually, taking into account age, body weight, and physical strength. The complex should consist of:
- warm-up exercises, stretching to warm up the muscles and prepare the body (from 4 to 6 minutes);
- cardio exercises to burn fat (6-8 minutes);
- strength exercises - squats, planks, lunges, bicycle (10-20 repetitions).
Attention! You can’t skip the warm-up and immediately start active exercises. This leads to injury.
Frequency and duration
How often to exercise for weight loss depends on individual characteristics, the presence of diseases, and physical characteristics. But in general, it is believed that a set of classes should last from half an hour, but should not last more than 60 minutes.
The duration and frequency of classes should be rational. On average, 2-3 workouts weekly are enough. And don’t exhaust yourself with a lot of repetitions.
Approximate workout composition
Recommended workouts for girls
Tuesday
| № | Exercises | Number of approaches and repetitions |
| 1 | Knee push-ups | 3 sets of 15 times |
| 2 | Regular squats | 3 x 20 times |
| 3 | Lunges with dumbbells in place | 3 x 10 times |
| 4 | Standing deadlift with dumbbells in place | 3 x 10 times |
| 5 | Plank | 3 sets of 50 seconds |
| 6 | Dorsal flexion | 3 sets of 20 reps |
| 7 | Stretching all muscle groups | 10 minutes |
Friday
| 1 | Lunges in place with dumbbells | 3 x 10 times |
| 2 | Extending the straight leg to the side | 3 x 20 times |
| 3 | Deadlift with dumbbells | 3 x 10 times |
| 4 | Plank | 3 times 60 seconds |
| 5 | Dorsal flexion | 3 x 20 times |
| 6 | Stretching all muscle groups | 10 minutes |
Recommended activities for guys
Tuesday
| № | Exercises | Number of approaches and repetitions |
| 1 | Jump in place | 3 sets of 30 reps |
| 2 | Pulldown to the chest on the upper block | 2 x 12 times |
| 3 | Close grip row on the lower block | 2 x 12 times |
| 4 | Pullover with one dumbbell lying on a horizontal bench | 2 x 12 times |
| 5 | Hyperextensions: exercises for training the abdominal muscles | 3 x 12 times |
| 6 | Hanging on the horizontal bar | 2-3 times |
Thursday
| 1 | Push-ups and squats | 3 sets of 5 times |
| 2 | Dips | 2 x 12 times |
| 3 | Lift the barbell from a standing position | 2 x 12 times |
| 4 | French bench press | 2 x 12 times |
| 5 | Ab exercises | 2 x 12 times |
Saturday
| 1 | Exercise on a bicycle simulator | Up to 7 minutes |
| 2 | Extend your legs on the machine | 2 x 12 times |
| 3 | Bend your legs on the machine | 2 x 12 times |
| 4 | Rising on your toes on the machine | 2 x 12 times |
To achieve the weight loss effect, it is also necessary to coordinate all programs with a specialist and switch to proper balanced nutrition for teenagers.
Important! If you do not solve the problem of excess weight in childhood, in the future it results in psycho-emotional disorders, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, infertility, and the formation of kidney stones.
When to see a specialist:
Sometimes a parent cannot cope with a child’s excess weight on their own. In this case, you need to contact a specialist who will tell you what to do and where to start. Such cases include:
- a situation where excess weight exceeds 50% of normal weight;
- the child is gaining weight rapidly for no apparent reason;
- the baby was diagnosed with problems with the gastrointestinal tract, heart muscle and endocrine system;
- Excess weight causes depression;
- the baby began to feel unwell;
- after a little physical exercise, shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, headache and abdominal pain appeared.
As you can see, not only adults, but also children can suffer from excess weight. Overeating can be just as dangerous as fasting. It is imperative for parents to find a balance between both. Try to be a faithful friend to your baby and support him during the period of weight loss. Don't laugh at him or reproach him. Today, a huge number of children suffer from excess weight, begin to lose weight, do it incorrectly and get serious illnesses. If you are not sure if you are losing weight correctly, consult a good nutritionist. Today, specialists are able to develop an individual menu for your child and select a set of exercises. Remember that the main thing in this matter is patience and systematicity. You can’t lose weight by playing sports and eating chocolate during breaks; and you can’t lose excess weight while sitting at the computer.
Exercise program for boys aged 14-18 years
Teenagers can perform the physical exercises presented below both in the gym and at home. At the same time, it is more convenient to exercise at home with a special fitness mat for training - it will reduce body slipping and create shock absorption when supporting with your hands:
Elbow plank
The plank is a static exercise to strengthen the core muscles. It is necessary to stay in the elbow stand position for at least 20-30 seconds, maintaining a normal breathing rhythm and feeling the tension in the abdominal muscles. The body should be elongated in a straight line, the gaze directed ahead.
// Plank for beginners - technique
Side plank with leg raise
After the teenager can perform 3-4 sets of the elbow plank exercise (with a delay of 20-30 seconds), it is recommended to move on to the side plank. The body weight is located on one hand. An additional complicating element will be raising the leg - this develops a sense of balance.
Push ups
Push-ups are one of the most variable bodyweight exercises. Regular push-ups develop the chest muscles, and an exercise with a footrest increases the load on the shoulder girdle. In turn, fist push-ups (like diamond push-ups) increase the load on the triceps.
// Push-up program - the best types
Reverse crunches
Regular and reverse crunches are excellent exercises for developing the abs for teenagers. The benefits of reverse crunches are that they develop the lower abs, strengthen the leg muscles and have a positive effect on posture problems caused by constant sitting.
// Lower abs - how to pump correctly?
Exercise “Burpee”
The burpee exercise is a key functional exercise for simultaneously engaging all the muscles in the body. Essentially, this is a lying position with a transition to a half-squat and further jumping up. The exercise is performed to count technically correct repetitions in a certain amount of time.
// Burpee - step by step instructions
Lifting the pelvis while lying down
Starting position: lying on your back. Then, by activating the gluteal muscles and rectus abdominis, you need to lift your pelvis and hips up - and hold for 2-3 seconds, squeezing your buttocks as hard as possible. Total - 10-12 repetitions. Exercise develops neuromuscular communication and improves posture.
Triceps push-ups
To perform this exercise you will need a bench or chair. The mechanics of the movement is to lower the body as low as possible (without rounding the back), then push it up as high as possible. Essentially, using the strength of the triceps, you need to lift your body weight above the position of your palms.
// Reverse triceps push-ups - benefits and technique
Roller crunches
In order for a teenager to pump up his abs, it is important to learn to feel the work of this muscle group. Performing crunches with a roller helps this task, since the exercise involves movement specifically due to the abdominal muscles.
Pull-ups
Pull-ups are the most important physical exercise for boys over 16 years of age. When done correctly (and regularly), it can change your figure beyond recognition in a few months - including broadening your shoulders, strengthening your arms, and even increasing your height.
// How to learn to do pull-ups from scratch?
Lunges
Lunges forward on one leg are exercises for developing leg muscles and strengthening the abs. In particular, correct technique implies constant tension in the abdominal muscles while performing the movement. In addition, it is important to monitor your breathing rhythm. Perform 2-3 sets of 10-12 repetitions for each leg.
