Unfortunately, most of today’s children do not get adequate exercise. According to the Kentucky 2003 Youth Behavioral Risk Assessment, 65% of Kentucky’s youth are not enrolled in physical education classes, 79% participate in insufficient physical activity, 15% are overweight and an additional 15% are at risk for becoming overweight.

Rehab Associates wants you to know that children need to be active to remain healthy. They need to develop the balance, coordination and posture that will allow them to avoid injury and master progressively difficult tasks like jumping, climbing, and kicking a ball. The surgeon general recommendation is that children participate in moderate physical activity for up to 30 minutes, most days of the week.

The most effective and most enjoyable way to encourage your child to exercise is to participate in a regular exercise program with your child! Choose activities that you both enjoy. Take a walk in the park, go for bike rides, play sports, or teach them how to stretch. In addition, be aware of community sponsored events such as the Paducah Kids Triathlon, children’s runs associated with other community races, church and school sponsored activities, and team sports. Remember not to push your children to exercise but to set an example for your children to follow. As the old saying goes, we should practice what we preach!

For every girl who makes the high school basketball team or boy who tries out for cross-country, there are usually two proud but worried parents concerned about their child getting hurt.

The best way for an athlete of any age to prevent injury is to stay in shape. Proper conditioning is the No. 1 factor in preventing injury, especially during the heavy growth years.

Ideally, screening should be performed by qualified, licensed physical therapists. Parents can contact Rehab Associates physical therapy to screen a child.

What is strength training and is it safe for your child? Strength training enables athletes to build muscle strength by exerting or resisting force. This training method is endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Sports Medicine as a way to improve fitness levels and build strength, provided the program is properly designed and supervised.

The goal of a proper strength training program is not to see which child athlete is the strongest, but to improve the musculoskeletal strength of all children while they are exposed to a variety of fun, safe, and effective training methods.

Although conditioning can prevent many injuries, any child participating in organized sports is bound to experience an occasional sprain or strain. But how much pain is too much?

Parents should keep in mind that the child may be tempted to push beyond his or her limits out of the desire to win or keep up with teammates.

Whether training or playing, the athlete should not experience pain for more than an hour or so after the practice or event. Pain that persists into the evening is a signal that muscles or joints are signal that muscles or joints are being overworked. If this happens, training should be modified.