Organized sport and exercise have increased in popularity over the last few decades. People have more opportunities than ever before to participate and achieve in a variety of more accessible activities (Southwick et al., 2007). Much of this popularity is attributed to the positive physiological and psychosocial effects associated with participating in regular exercise. Both adults and children are able to enjoy exercise and achieve the benefits of participation (Phillips, 2007). It is important to be aware that even with all of the benefits associated with participation in sport and physical exercise, and the media attention which accompanies the positive outcomes, there is still a large section of society who have little or no involvement in physical exercise or sport, and are aware of the potential health risks associated with this choice. (Butterworth, 2008).
It is important to promote exercise (Dobbins, 2009) but it also needs to be implemented in the correct way. It is clear that participation in sport and exercise may result in specific issues or concerns which need to be addressed so that maximal benefits are achieved.
As young people we adopt attitudes and opinions from the people closest to us, which define our future development. Without instilling the importance of exercise early and creating plans to implement the processes, unhealthy young people will develop into unhealthy adults. In addition, it is desirable to develop positive habits before the negative habits have a chance to set in (Hatfield & Brody, 2008). In this study, the physiotherapist will be the person implementing the policies and procedures as well as the class instructor. There will be a focus on the issues relating to young people in sport and discuss the role and responsibility of the physiotherapist and how this relates to improving participation and outcomes of young people using resistance exercises.
Creating an exercise class for young people needs careful consideration. Negative aspects instilled can have long term consequences on their physical and psychosocial ability (Stratton et al., 2004). For this reason it is imperative that the correct policies and procedures are in place. The primary responsibility of the physiotherapist is to provide a safe environment in which young people can enjoy the benefits of an effective resistance exercise program.
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) says that all children have the right to be protected from all forms of abuse at all times. The standards for safeguarding and protecting children in sport unit (2005) says, young people have the right to enjoy sport, are protected from harm and encouraged to fulfil their potential. All issues relating to working with young people in sport must be focused around this set of legislation. Our primary concern is the safety and well-being of the participants, and later to build on health promotion and exercise enjoyment. For this reason it is important to have policies and procedures relating specifically to the class and the club which underpin the protection and safeguarding of the young people. It is the role of every person directly involved in the programme to ensure that the legal issues are adhered to. If an incident occurs it needs be shown that every possible precaution was taken to ensure the protection and safety of the young people involved (Greenwood & Greenwood, 2008).
Due to the nature of the class, a gym or club will be required. Any institution that is available for use by young people should by law have policies available for safeguarding and protecting those young people as indicated in, helping keep your child safe in sport (2007). Types of potential abuse include physical, emotional, sexual and neglect. Bullying and racism are also possible forms of abuse. In circumstances of abuse it is important to involve the correct person or authorities. All concerns need to be brought to the club welfare officer. If no person is available then the relevant advice and guidance should be obtained from the local designated officer. It is everyone’s responsibility to keep young people safe. All incidents must be reported, include hurting a participant accidentally, distress of any kind, all inappropriate actions and any misunderstandings caused by the actions of the adults in charge.
All adults involved need to be safety checked. In creating a safe environment for young people, clear guidelines need to exist. Most sporting environments should have a protection policy in place; however modifications need to be included to be specific to the class. It is important to be aware of the clubs current policy. Injuries from physical activity are common and occasionally unavoidable (Epley & Taylor, 2008), however with the correct supervision, the number and severity of injuries can be substantially reduced. Instructors must always be present, active hands-on and constantly alert. They should be qualified and prepared. The participant should be in clear view at all times.
There is extensive literature pertaining to the safety and welfare of young people. The implementation of this resistance programme requires a level of skill and understanding (Small, 2008), therefore the clarity of the policies and procedures need to be very well defined and specific to the activity. This is also true with regard to the programme itself and the people involved in running this programme. It is the responsibility of the physiotherapist to educate the parents on the benefits and risks associated with resistance exercise. They need to be aware of the aims and objectives of the programme and understand the importance of positive reinforcement and encouragement (Hatfield & Brody, 2008). It is important to communicate effectively with the parents to gage the child’s current views on exercise and how these perceptions evolve with the progress of the programme. It is also worth mentioning that combined and individual meetings with the parents and the child may result in a difference in how the child views physical activity.
Prior to participation clear guidelines need to be introduced to the participant and the parents. Each participant must understand the benefits and risks associated with the programme. The goal of the class is to introduce young people to resistance exercise in a way that they can enjoy, understand the benefits and risks and get inspired to continue exercising. (Faigenbaum, 2008) Young people will gain positive instruction towards healthy progression in sport and exercise and an understanding of good exercise practice.
It is the responsibility of those involved to ensure the safety of all participants. For this reason every participant needs to be screened and cleared by a licensed physician. The process should consist of comprehensive health and immunization history and should include an orthopaedic and cardiac examination (Triplett et al., 2009). It is important to assess every participant thoroughly before inclusion into the programme. This is important to ensure that there are no pre-existing conditions and to assess the child’s abilities. It provides the physiotherapist the opportunity to connect with the participant, view their reaction to certain tasks (Pearce, 2006) and to plan the programme around the young person rather than creating a generic programme for all to follow.
As a professional, the physiotherapist should be guided by a moral and ethical code. As a member of this professional group, the physiotherapist will be expected to respect the dignity of all the people involved. The environment should be encouraging and supportive; to promote healthy competition and skill improvement. It should aim to be a fun and support achievement (Stratton et al., 2004). All contact or conduct which may be interpreted as inappropriate must be avoided. No acts of aggression should be tolerated. Fair play should be practiced by showing consideration to athletes, staff, parents, spectators and officials, abiding by the rules and the official decisions as described in the fairplay assembly guide (2003).
Even though the equipment used should be correctly set up and maintained by the facility, it is the responsibility of the physiotherapist to confirm that all equipment used in the class is in good working order. If equipment is broken or not-in-use for any reason, it needs to be clearly marked or removed from the immediate location (Jones, 2000). Any instructor involved with the running of the class need to be aware of the facilities emergency procedures, which needs to be clearly communicated to the participants. All physiotherapists involved should have an appropriate level and up to date first aid certification (Triplett et al., 2009).
Performance enhancing supplements and other ergogenic aids are synonymous with resistance training. In order to be proactive participants should be educated on the risks associated with using such substances. There should be a zero tolerance policy regarding the use of any banned substances (Small et al., 2008). Certain food supplementation can be considered along with vitamins or minerals however, this needs to be implemented under the guidance of a physician (Maffulli & Magra, 2008).
Initially exercises should be learned with no resistance. Once the correct technique is achieved, incremental loads should be added. The programme should consist of 12-20 repetitions and 2-5 sets. The duration of the programme should be at least 8 weeks (Small, 2008)
Resistance exercise is a mode of training which has many stigmas associated with it especially when it comes to young people. There is minimal evidence to support these claims, especially when following the correct supervision and training guidelines (Maffulli& Magra, 2008). There are increasing studies which endorse the use of resistance training in young people for the positive physical and psychosocial benefits (Faigenbaum, 2008).
After following a resistance training programme for a period of 8 weeks, improvements in strength and muscle function are expected. These gains especially in the preadolescent group are more likely due to neuromuscular adaptations rather than hypertrophic factors (Stratton et al., 2004; Faigenbaum, 2008). Studies have shown that resistance training can increase or maintain flexibility in young people. Greatest gains are expected where there was poor flexibility to start with, and movements are done through full range of movement (Stratton et al., 2004; Ratamess, 2008).
Young people in general have a more elastic and weaker skeletal structure. This is no more evident than during peak height velocity (Anderson et al., 2000) Imbalances between the agonists and antagonists and increase tension in the tendon unit can lead to a high incidence of bone injuries, relating to both micro and macro-trauma (Shanmugam & Maffulli, 2008). Resistance training is expected to improve levels of bone density in trained individuals.
Although obesity is a complex issue, there is an indication that resistance training may reduce obesity in young people (Stratton et al., 2004). It is also worth noting that overweight young people may find resistance training more enjoyable as it is less aerobically demanding and they are able to achieve similar success in tasks as their less overweight peers (Faigenbaum, 2008).
Sport is a collaboration of skills and learned activities. Many components of sports participation are trainable. With the ability to improve strength, flexibility, motor-neural skills and decrease the occurrence of injuries (Stratton et al., 2004), resistance training can potentially aid in sporting development. Circuit training using high volume training with short rest periods has been shown to increase VO2 max. This is especially true for previously unconditioned individuals (Ratamess, 2008).
Young people are often involved in intense, high volume bouts of exercise (Southwick et al., 2007). This coupled with other extrinsic and intrinsic factors, allows for potential injuries. Current research suggests that resistance training in young people, will aid in the prevention of injuries (Faigenbaum& Schram,2004). Prehabilitation has been shown to identify and prevent potential injuries in young athletes (Pearce, 2006).
Young people are continually placed in intensely stressful situations. Anxiety, poor self-perception and depression are common manifestations they have to overcome. Exercise allows young people to practice setting and achieving short and long term goals. It teaches social interaction, improves self-image and perception, and teaches them to better understand their bodies. Resistance training in particular encourages participants to work toward self improvement rather than competition (Stratton et al., 2004).
The role and responsibilities of the physiotherapist is multifaceted. When working with young people, their safety and protection is of primary importance. Young people have the right to enjoy sport. Some participants may enjoy competition where others may find exercise challenging. Clear communication and gaining trust is important in understanding the individuals’ attitudes toward exercise.This programme introduces young people to resistance training in a safe, enjoyable and progressive way, allowing them to learn and develop, while benefiting from the positive outcomes of participation
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by: N.Brink
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