1. Training Youth Clients Based on NASM CPT Textbook & ACE CPT Textbook
© 2018 NPTI Colorado  | Slide 1 | Revision 6 (6/25/18) DM

2. Lecture Objectives Students should be able to:
Define and describe age considerations.
Describe the characteristics of youth clients.
Describe how to modify a program for youth clients

3. Exercise and Youth View: The Inactivity pandemic
Youth fitness programs are one of the fastest growing segments of the health club industry.
Youth refers to children and adolescents between the ages of
American youth do not get the recommended amount of physical activity
Exponential increase in overweight and obese children
View: The Inactivity pandemic

4. Exercise and Youth
Primary exercise activities for children and adolescents are:
Aerobic conditioning
Fun/recreational/competitive sports
Muscle strengthening
Structured (weight training) or unstructured (playing games)
Bone strengthening (hopscotch, jump rope, and tennis)
ACE

5. Exercise and Youth
Youth negatively impacted by the decline in physical activity
Behaviors established at a young age have a high probability of persisting into adulthood
Substantial health benefits by doing moderate- and vigorous-intensity physical activity for periods of time that add up to 60 minutes or more each day
ACE

6. Exercise and Youth
Current recommendations for children and adolescents:
60-minutes or more of physical activity a day
Aerobic, muscle-strengthening, and bone-strengthening activities are encouraged
NASM

7. Exercise and Youth
National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE):
Accumulate at least 60 minutes, and up to several hours, of age-appropriate physical activity on all, or most days of the week.
Participate in several bouts of physical activity lasting 15 minutes or more each day   
Extended periods (periods of two hours or more) of inactivity are discouraged for children, especially during the daytime hours.
1. More info concerning youth guidelines from NASPE can be found here:

8. Exercise and Youth
The risk of injuries to children participating in resistance training is low
However, injuries can occur in any sport
To minimize the risk of injury during resistance training, personal trainers should adhere to the following guidelines
ACE

9. Exercise and Youth
Obtain medical clearance or instructions regarding physical needs
Children should be properly supervised and use proper exercise technique at all times
Do not allow children to exercise unless facility is safe for them
Never have children perform single maximal lifts or sudden explosive movements or to compete with other children
ACE

10. Exercise and Youth Proper breathing during exercise movements
Never allow children to use equipment that is broken or damaged, or that they don’t fit on correctly
Rest for approximately 1-2 minutes between each exercise (longer if necessary)
Drink plenty of fluids before, during and after exercise
Remind youth to communicate with a coach, parent or teacher when they feel tired or fatigued, or when they have been injured
ACE

11. Exercise and Youth
Children exercising in extremely cold temps are at increased risk for dehydration and hypothermia
Layer clothing
Ensure proper hydration
Children are at higher risk for heat-related illness than adults due to:
Higher ratio of body surface area to mass
Lower exercise economy
Diminished exercising capacity
Lower cardiac output at similar workload
ACE

12. Exercise and Youth
The following guidelines apply to children and adults alike:
Reduce intensity of exercise in very hot, humid, or sunny environments
Cancel activity or move indoors to air conditioned environment during periods of very hot and especially humid conditions
Maintain hydration
Encourage frequent breaks
Lightweight, light-colored, loose fitting clothing; use sunscreen
To prevent hyponatremia, replace both fluids and electrolytes
ACE

13. General Guidelines for Training Youth
Children / adolescents who DO NOT currently meet the recommended guidelines should slowly increase their activity level
Children who DO meet the guidelines should continue being active on a daily basis and, if appropriate, become even more active. (Evidence shows that MORE THAN 60 min/day can show more health benefits
Children who EXCEED guidelines should maintain their activity levels and vary the activities to prevent overtraining and injury
ACE

14. Exercise and Youth Physiologic Differences Between Children & Adults:
Children do not respond, adapt, or progress the same as adults
Youth progress is specific to their physiologic capabilities  

15. Exercise and Youth
Although a group of children or adolescents may be the same age, their responses to exercise can vary considerably:
Growth
Development
Physical maturation
Psychological maturation

16. Exercise and Youth
1. Spend some good time reviewing this table

17. Exercise and Youth
Research has clearly demonstrated that resistance training is both safe, and effective, in children and adolescents.
The most common injuries associated with resistance training in youth:
Sprains
Strains
Define “sprain” and “strain”.

18. Exercise and Youth
Research suggests that untrained children can improve their strength by an average of 30% to 40% after 8 weeks of progressive resistance training
Neuromuscular adaptations
Additional benefits associated with resistance training:
Improved motor skills
Improved strength and performance
Improved body composition
Improved bone mineral density

19. Exercise and Youth When designing programs for youth clients:
Assess client for movement deficiencies
Typically need to start with Stabilization Endurance program
Progression into Phases 2 through 5 should be based on youth’s past performance and current abilities
FUN!
Click here for a Youth Exercise Routine example

20. Exercise and Youth
1. Review the guidelines found in Table

21. Get Certified! ACE Youth Specialist Certification
1. Review the guidelines found in Table

22. Any questions?