Answers (9)
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Hi Sandy, great question! A lot depends on the age of the teens and the nature of the training. If we're talking about older teens 18-19 (and perhaps even 17) then yes, it's probably ok. Also, the type of group training involved is another determinant. What we want to steer clear of when working with kids/teens (and what a lot of people fall victim to) is simply looking at the size of the kid involved and basing how we train or work with them based on how they "look." Bigger kids, should be trained according to their age, not their size! Kids and teens go through certain developmental stages, and those stages generally aren't circumvented simply because they are larger in stature.
I hope that this helps.
LaRue, CSCS
www.lecfitness.com
lecfitness@yahoo.com
I hope that this helps.
LaRue, CSCS
www.lecfitness.com
lecfitness@yahoo.com
1
I think it is appropriate according to the class being taught. I regularly instruct bootcamp, yoga, and personal defense classes with a wide variety of ages involved. Recently a friend has begun instructing a marathon training course (which is KILLING me) were I have seen ages 16 to 60+ year olds. I have been consistently outran by the 40's men's group too. However, I teach a seniors fitness education class during the winter that would obviously not be appropriate for teens to attend.
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I am curious to know if gender would make a difference.
Somehow I think my sixteen year-old son would not object to participating in a class with male adults (25-40). He often plays soccer with males of this age group so I don't think it would make a difference.
I do wonder about females though. I can't imagine that the girls in my son's class would want to be in the same fitness classes with women old enough to be their mother.
For me it is not a question of whether it is appropriate or not. I don't think many teenagers want to be seen hanging out with old folks.
Somehow I think my sixteen year-old son would not object to participating in a class with male adults (25-40). He often plays soccer with males of this age group so I don't think it would make a difference.
I do wonder about females though. I can't imagine that the girls in my son's class would want to be in the same fitness classes with women old enough to be their mother.
For me it is not a question of whether it is appropriate or not. I don't think many teenagers want to be seen hanging out with old folks.
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Interesting answers. In Japan, martial arts classes consist of all age groups. The younger students learn to emulate the older students in respect for the instructor and training hall. My sons and I have trained together most of their lives. First starting with dance and then martial arts. We started when my oldest son was 6 and my youngest was in a stroller. We're still training together 12 years later.
I took yoga and belly dance class as a teen with a women who was 70 and other women in the class were all age groups. They were great insprations to me all my life.
There are considerations to training children or teens from a physiological perspective. But we put them in sports, dance and martial arts at a young age why not an appropriate 'family fitness' class? In this age of health issues from obesity, families that are involved in fitness together are more likely to stay fit and healthy.
I took yoga and belly dance class as a teen with a women who was 70 and other women in the class were all age groups. They were great insprations to me all my life.
There are considerations to training children or teens from a physiological perspective. But we put them in sports, dance and martial arts at a young age why not an appropriate 'family fitness' class? In this age of health issues from obesity, families that are involved in fitness together are more likely to stay fit and healthy.
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Adding to my last answer; some adults don't want to train with teens in the class. That's also a consideration.
0
I have taught Group Boot Camp and Pilates Mat Classes for years and obviously those are two very different styles of class. I have found that with Pilates there was no problem mixing age groups other than I had to get after some of the younger class members to stop bringing there cell phones into class. (which annoyed me and my older students)
With the Boot Camp classes however it is on a group by group basis. I did my best to put people together that were of a similar physical ability and that has nothing to do with age. From my point of view it all depends on the individual's ability and attitude and not their age. I have seen 14 and 15 year-old's out preform, agility and coordination wise, people three to four times there age and in that case the only thing you need to look at is, are they mature enough to meld easily with the older students.
Hope that helps.
Daniel Segars
www.FitnessBlender.com
With the Boot Camp classes however it is on a group by group basis. I did my best to put people together that were of a similar physical ability and that has nothing to do with age. From my point of view it all depends on the individual's ability and attitude and not their age. I have seen 14 and 15 year-old's out preform, agility and coordination wise, people three to four times there age and in that case the only thing you need to look at is, are they mature enough to meld easily with the older students.
Hope that helps.
Daniel Segars
www.FitnessBlender.com
0
I look at fitness as education. You probably shouldn't teach a high school freshman organic chemistry.
Having said that!...
Fitness is unique in that a person's level of fitness education and chronological age may not be related at all!
A 16 year old athlete could know enough about a jumping jack or a pushup, for instance, to effectively educate a 50-something on the proper technique (as a very general example). From a standpoint of whether or not it can work, I see no issues.
LaRue brought up an excellent point. It very much depends on the age. The body of a 20 year old and the body of a 16 year old can be drastically different. It's also important to keep in mind that everyone matures at a different rate. The 16 year old could be in better shape than the 20 year old and be fully capable of general fitness exercises where the 20 year old may not be capable. The opposite may also be true.
The maturity factor comes into play here as well. How serious are these teens, or adults for that matter, going to be about getting the most out of the experience? We know that the pre-frontal cortex in the brain (responsible for higher level reasoning and to an extent control of emotions) doesn't come online (develop) fully until age 25! Take from that what you will.
In the end, I think you have to keep in mind the group concensus and the group attitude as a whole. Sure, it'd be something great to try out. How the information is presented by the instructor, and the individual opinions and attitudes of the participants will be the determining factors.
Age may not have anything to do with group cohesion.
Awesome question, Sandy!
Having said that!...
Fitness is unique in that a person's level of fitness education and chronological age may not be related at all!
A 16 year old athlete could know enough about a jumping jack or a pushup, for instance, to effectively educate a 50-something on the proper technique (as a very general example). From a standpoint of whether or not it can work, I see no issues.
LaRue brought up an excellent point. It very much depends on the age. The body of a 20 year old and the body of a 16 year old can be drastically different. It's also important to keep in mind that everyone matures at a different rate. The 16 year old could be in better shape than the 20 year old and be fully capable of general fitness exercises where the 20 year old may not be capable. The opposite may also be true.
The maturity factor comes into play here as well. How serious are these teens, or adults for that matter, going to be about getting the most out of the experience? We know that the pre-frontal cortex in the brain (responsible for higher level reasoning and to an extent control of emotions) doesn't come online (develop) fully until age 25! Take from that what you will.
In the end, I think you have to keep in mind the group concensus and the group attitude as a whole. Sure, it'd be something great to try out. How the information is presented by the instructor, and the individual opinions and attitudes of the participants will be the determining factors.
Age may not have anything to do with group cohesion.
Awesome question, Sandy!
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I agree with Stephen!
I teach boot camp, kickboxing and martial arts to a mixed group from 16 to 69.
Personally I find quite a few parents working out with their teens. It's a great bonding activity!
But also there are quite a few gyms/Y's that are offering teen-specific classes because let's face it, the strongest part of the body on a lot of kids nowadays is their thumbs!
I teach boot camp, kickboxing and martial arts to a mixed group from 16 to 69.
Personally I find quite a few parents working out with their teens. It's a great bonding activity!
But also there are quite a few gyms/Y's that are offering teen-specific classes because let's face it, the strongest part of the body on a lot of kids nowadays is their thumbs!
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Agreed that it depends on the the training and the ages of those involved. For example, at the gym where I work and take martial arts, kids can start Taekwondo at age 5, but that doesn't mean they are developmentally ready. At that point the Master might say no. We do teen and adult martial arts together and Master Lee is able to adjust training for all ages and levels.
Again, it depends on what you're training is all about.
Again, it depends on what you're training is all about.
