Many parents who seriously think about the physical education of their children do not know how to teach a child to push up from the floor. Before starting children's training, it is necessary to draw up a competent training program. The physical development of children should take place under the strict control of parents, only in this case the process will develop as harmoniously as possible.
Should I force my child to do push-ups?
Many parents are not sure if push-ups are useful for children, so they are in no hurry with this exercise. Before teaching, let's find out what a push-up is?
This is a basic physical exercise that is performed from a support lying on outstretched arms. The athlete lifts and lowers the body using the strength of the arms and pectoral muscles, maintaining a straight body position throughout all stages of execution.
Teaching a baby to do push-ups from the floor is worth it, if only because this is an excellent exercise for strengthening the muscles of the shoulder girdle. In the process of work, the following are involved:
- Triceps
- Pectoral muscles;
- Deltoid muscles;
- The widest;
- Quads;
- Press;
- Back;
- Toes and hand joints.
It doesn't matter who is trying to learn to do push-ups, a child or an adult - exercise is equally beneficial for everyone. A physically active child will definitely grow up strong and strong, strengthen immunity, improve coordination of movements, and develop many different skills.
Let's talk in more detail about the benefits of push-ups for children?
The benefits of exercise
Before you teach your child to do push-ups correctly, let's once again make sure that our intention is correct. Just look at a solid list of pluses and feel free to start training!
- Exercise develops a sense of concentration, teaches the interaction between the upper and lower body;
- It perfectly strengthens physically, makes the child strong, strong;
- Regular physical activity strengthens the immune system, affects growth and overall development;
- It has been proven that sports have a positive effect on the mental abilities of children;
- Classes teach self-discipline, endurance, responsibility, develop a healthy attitude towards hygiene and physiology of your body;
- A child should learn to do push-ups from the floor because the exercise stimulates the powerful development of the children's press, the muscles of the arms and chest, strengthens the joints and ligaments;
- During training, blood flow accelerates, the blood is more oxygenated, which means that each cell receives enhanced nutrition, which has a positive effect on the overall health of the body;
- Sport has a great impact on the normal socialization of children, which is why every parent should stimulate and encourage their desire to exercise.
Please note that if you do not follow the correct push-up technique, all the benefits can easily be reduced to zero. On the contrary, you risk harming children by overloading your joints or muscles. It is necessary to teach not only the correct technique - it is important to do push-ups with good health and in a great mood. Also, consult your pediatrician if your child has any contraindications for sports.
How old can you do push-ups?
So, we hope we have convinced you, it is worth teaching a child to push up from the floor. However, parents who doubt the advisability of this exercise are also, in their own way, right. Meanwhile, the correct position on this issue depends on the age of the child. It is important to do everything on time - and there is also a recommended age limit for push-ups.
Let's find out from how many years a child can do push-ups - we will give an exhaustive answer to this question:
- From 3 to 6 years old, it is important to focus on flexibility and plastic, that is, to do stretching exercises. With age, a person loses the elasticity of muscles and ligaments, therefore, it is important from childhood to teach a person to love to stretch, to form the correct foundation;
- From 6-7 years old, you can begin to enter into the cardio complex. Connect exercises for the press, push-ups, squats, running, pull-ups.
- From the age of 10, you can start training with light weights, or complicate the previous complex. You should work under the strict guidance of a trainer, only he can teach you how to do all the elements correctly. The articular-ligamentous apparatus is still incompletely formed, respectively, the load should be minimal.
- From the age of 12, adolescents can safely connect insignificant weight.
Thus, we conclude that it is worth teaching a child to do push-ups from the age of 6-7, that is, from the moment he enters school. By the age of 10, regular push-ups can be complicated by more complex subspecies (explosive, on fists, raising legs to a dais). A 12-year-old teenager can start strength training, weighted push-ups, practice the most difficult push-up variations (on one hand, on fingers).
Features of children's push-ups
Before you teach your child to do push-ups, read the recommendations below:
- It is important to adequately assess the level of training of the child. Children with poorly developed muscles should start with lighter exercise variations. A gradual increase in load will allow you to gradually prepare your muscles for the classic push-up method. In this case, the child will not lose motivation, he will not be disappointed in his capabilities;
- You can teach a child to do push-ups from scratch, but it is extremely important to show him the correct technique. Make sure you really know how to do push-ups;
- Evaluate how much the child himself wants to learn to do push-ups. You shouldn't convince him to work hard. Parents who are looking for information on how to get their child to do push-ups are on the wrong track from the very beginning. Analyze whether your son is ready for such a load, how agile, quick, active he is, what is the speed of his reaction.
- Make a clear program of classes, the only way you can teach your baby to do push-ups from the floor quickly and technically correctly.
Push-up technique
So, let's get down to business directly - here's how to do push-ups correctly for boys 6-12 years old:
- Be sure to warm up. Stretch your arms, body, make circular rotations to warm up your joints;
- Starting position: support lying on outstretched arms, legs rest on fingers. The whole body forms a straight line from head to heels;
- Tighten your stomach and buttocks;
- While inhaling, let the baby begin to bend the elbows, lowering the body down;
- As soon as the elbows form a right angle, the lowest point is reached, while the chest is practically touching the floor;
- On exhalation, due to the strength of the hands, lifting is carried out;
- The parent must monitor the correct position of the body - the back is not rounded, the fifth point does not protrude, we do not lie on the floor with our chest.
Where to start learning?
Often it is not immediately possible to teach a boy to do push-ups from the floor fully. Don't worry, everything will work out, just a little later. Try teaching your child some lighter exercise variations:
- Push-ups from the wall - unload the pectoral muscles. We recommend gradually moving away from the vertical support, eventually moving to the bench;
- Bench push-ups - the higher the horizontal support, the easier it is to push up. Reduce the bench height gradually;
- Knee push-ups - the method reduces the load on the lower back. As soon as you feel that the muscles of the arms and chest of the child are stronger, try full push-ups from the floor.
The technique for performing these variations does not differ from the classical one: the back is straight, the elbows are bent to 90 °, lowering / inhaling, lifting / exhaling. Do each exercise 15-25 times in 2 sets.
In parallel, to strengthen the muscles, perform the plank with outstretched arms - every day for 40-90 seconds in two sets.
It is important for children of 7 years to do push-ups correctly, which means that pay special attention to eliminating errors in technique. Remember, it's easier to teach than to retrain, so stop cheating at the root: rounding your back, bulging your buttocks, laying your body on the floor, touching your knees on the floor, etc. Make sure that the child is breathing correctly and do not set too high a load.
Complicated variations
As we said above, closer to ten years old, you can move on to more complicated push-up variations. Let's look at how to do push-ups for a 10-year-old child and what types of exercises should be taught:
- With cotton. During the lift, the athlete performs an explosive force, pushing the body up. At the same time, he must have time to make a clap before putting his hands on the floor;
- With the separation of hands. Similar to the previous exercise, but instead of cotton, the athlete needs to throw the body up in order to have time to fully straighten and tear his arms off the floor;
- With legs supported on a dais. This condition significantly complicates the classic variation, but it is definitely worth teaching a child to do push-ups. In the process of execution, more effort is required, which means that all available forces are mobilized.
- After 12 years, a boy can be taught to push up from the floor with his fists or fingers;
- Particularly difficult variations include handstand push-ups and one-arm push-ups. These techniques require excellent physical fitness for the child.
In conclusion, we would like to emphasize that it is imperative for boys to do push-ups. Each father must teach his child, and, best of all, by his own example. This is a basic exercise that demonstrates strength and lays the foundation for a man's future appearance. It is present in all TRP standards and in school programs. Practiced in all sports. Teaching a child to do push-ups from the floor is not at all difficult, especially since the technique is extremely simple. Your main task is to prepare the muscles for the load. If the body and muscles are ready, your child will not have any problems with push-ups.