28 Feb Child Exercise: How Much Is Too Much?
Participation in sports activities can be wonderful for a child’s physical and emotional health. But where’s the line on your child’s exercise routine, and how much is too much?
The answer lies in each individual child. What might be too much for one child may be completely healthy for another. It’s important to know what your child can handle, and also to take steps to prevent exhaustion, injuries, mental “burn out,” and eating disorders.
While the risk of injury varies from sport to sport, the most common cause of injury, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is overuse:
While back pain in adults is relatively common, children are more flexible and their bodies are more resilient, thus making back pain among that population less common. Because chronic or severe back pain can often be caused by a more serious medical problem, medical providers are more likely to treat such issues very seriously.
We've all heard a lot more about concussions or traumatic brain injuries (TBI) in recent years. Medical practitioners now better understand how devastating and debilitating multiple concussions can be as they can affect the way a brain functions.
As of 2012 all major professional sports leagues such as the NBA, NFL, NHL and MLB have policies and procedures for handling concussions. If your child is part of any organized sport team or group, be sure to ask to see their policies on how to handle concussions.
Not all concussions are caused by organized sports; they are often caused by a fall, a car or bike accident or severe jarring to the body. A child with a concussion may be knocked unconscious, but most are not. Symptoms of a concussion may develop 24 to 72 hours after an injury. If your child shows any of these signs, take him to his doctor right away.
