Healthy Running
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Perfect at Any Age

It used to be that Mom would send us out of the house in the morning and not expect to see us until she rang the bell for dinner and we all came running home to eat.  As our lifestyles have changed, there are increasing concerns about kids getting the recommended 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise a day that they need to stay healthy.  Fueling those concerns is the ever increasing epidemic of childhood obesity that is prevalent in our society today.

The sport of running is an easy way to get the recommended 30 minutes of cardio a day.  All you need is a pair of good shoes and you are set for a run.  It takes little skill or coordination and can be done virtually anywhere.  And, when you get “hooked”, the runners high is enough to keep you motivated to stick with your training program or your next race to beat your best time.

Running is a great sport for any age group.  The Run and See Georgia Grand Prix Races Series awards runners from ages 7 to 70 each week in any of the Grand Prix Races.  Kids, however, need to be careful to train properly and be sure to stretch and build up their endurance to avoid injuries from doing too much too fast or overtraining because they love it so much.

Important Things You Should Know

The American Academy of Pediatrics classifies running as a strenuous, non-contact sport.  Although running boasts on of the lowest frequencies of injury among children’s sports, as with any sport, there are several things that must be done to ensure that the demands put on the body are not too much.  Below are a few things that kids need to keep in mind when beginning a running program:

1. Stretching-Not realizing that they need to stretch as much, if not more than adults, many kids forgo this step that is so critical to injury prevention.  Kids should stretch daily in the morning, evening and before and after each running event, according to Mark Levin, M.D. and J. Patrick-Miller, M.D www.princetonol.com. Stretching regimens are best learned from a certified fitness instructor or coach.
   
   
2. Hydration- Often time’s kids forget that they need water before as well as after they run.  They will drink fluids after their run, when they may already be in a deficit situation at that point.  For maximum hydration, it is recommended that kids drink fluids 15-20 minutes before they run and in the case of a longer distance, drink fluids during the run, as well as after they are finished.  Dehydration can lead to muscle cramps, heat exhaustion or heat stroke.  Because kids are smaller which leads to a loss per kilogram of body weight.  What this means is that kids dissipate heat more efficiently, but need more fluids in order to manage heat induced cramps or other heat induced disease.
   
   
3. Heat Training- Kids forget that when the weather and humidity changes they need to get acclimated to the warmer temperature or risk heat induced diseases such as heat exhaustion or heat stroke.  Symptoms include dizziness, light-headedness, nausea, vomiting, excessive perspiration, increase respiratory rate, and decreased blood pressure.  Taking it easy, moving to cooler place and drinking fluids is the recommended treatment if it occurs.  Heat stroke is much more series and involves a loss of consciousness, or delirium and requires emergency attention immediately. 
     
4. Breathing- Children are more susceptible to exercise-induced brochospasms and wheezing, especially if they are prone to respiratory illness such as asthma or wheezing.  Cold weather can aggravate this if the child is prone to breathing issues.  Pre-hydration and slowly building up endurance helps the runner to increase their tolerance.  Always check with a physician, who may prescribe medication if applicable.



5. Building Slowly- There are many different resources available for kids wanting to complete their first 1K, 2K or 5K run, including a 10 Week Learn To Run Program on CompleteRunning.com that takes kids through a week to week training schedule that include a walk/run program that allows them to build up their endurance slowly without the risk of injury.  I am sure there are many others, as well as coaches or fitness instructors that can help kids get started properly.

For more information on resources for children’s running check out www.kidsrunning.com or www.princetonol.com/family.