There’s no denying that going to the gym is one of the most popular activities among people. According to statistics, the total amount of memberships at fitness centers/health clubs in the United States in 2019 is almost 70 million which is approximately 20% of the entire population and I’m sure that it has grown in these last couple of years. According to this other statistic, 60% of these gym memberships are owned by people between the age of 18 to 54. With that being said, surely kids will be interested to know what the fuss is all about and want to experience going to the gym as well. Is that possible? Is it safe? Do gyms allow it? In other words, can a 10-year-old go to the gym?
Although going to the gym at an early age of 10 may be a fun little experiment to learn all about strength training and there are some gyms that allow it, it is not advised for most children under the age of 13 and should instead focus on some form of sport or aerobic activity that will be considered a solid stepping stone for weight lifting down the line at an older age.
In this article, we’ll talk about if a 10-year-old is allowed to go to the gym, if it’s a good idea, and what are some alternatives to it.
Table of Contents
Can a 10-Year-Old Go To The Gym?
We’ll divide this section into two parts since this question can have two different meanings. Either if a 10-year-old is allowed to join the gym or if it’s a good idea for a 10-year-old to do so.
Is a 10-Year-Old Allowed to Join the Gym?
As I mentioned in the beginning, the majority of gym memberships are owned by people between the age of 18 to 54, but if you check the other age demographics, you’ll notice the second majority is between the age of 6 to 17 (16%). Even if that’s the case, most of those memberships will probably be above the age of 13 or 14.
Unfortunately, Most popular gyms don’t allow 10-year-olds even under the supervision of their parents since it’s too much of a risk for them. A 10-year-old kid is more likely to get injured with weights and most machines aren’t suited for them.
Popular Gyms like 24 Hour Fitness only allows 12-year-olds supervised by adults, Planet Fitness only allows 13-year-olds with a parent that has a membership, and Gold’s Gym only allows 13-year-olds accompanied by their parents.
Here is a list of all popular gyms and their age restrictions:
However, depending on where you live, there are some small local gyms that will probably allow 10-year-olds if they’re accompanied by an adult so make sure to ask around your area for these kinds of information.
Should a 10-Year-Old Go to the Gym?
Let’s say there is a gym near you that allows 10-year-olds to join, is it really a good idea for a kid that age to do it? Well…it depends on the kind of physical activities that you’re going to perform at the gym.
If it’s just to work on flexibility, learn the basics of weight-lifting, get used to the movements, do aerobic activities, and learn to lead an active lifestyle from a young age then that’s fine and beneficial for most children. However, if it’s to lift heavy and work out as adults do, then it’s probably not a good idea, you’ll only increase your chances of getting injured and put too much strain on young muscles and tendons that haven’t yet turned to the bone which is not what you want at that stage of your life.
Best Gym Alternatives for 10-Year-Olds
Just because you can’t go to the gym, that doesn’t mean that it’s the end of the world, on the contrary, there are plenty of other physical activities that you can do as a 10-year-old and that will be even more beneficial for you. You essentially want anything that will make your heart beat faster and stimulate your muscles:
Running
You can’t underestimate the power of running even at a younger age. Not only will it improve your physical well-being, but also your mental one. Running for 60 minutes once or twice per week will help you develop coordination, maintain a fit body even though you’re 10 years old, and improve your overall fitness.
Swimming
Learning how to swim is one of the most crucial skills that everyone needs to have, especially at a young age. You never know if there’s gonna come a time where you’re actually gonna need to use it so it’s always best to stay prepared. As a 10-year-old, it will teach you water safety, provide you with a nice physical workout, aid your cardiovascular health, strengthen your lung capacity, build your muscles, and improve your endurance.
Dancing
Dancing may sound fun and easy at first, but it’s actually one of the toughest physical activities out there and will have the same benefits as going to the gym. As a 10-year-old, it will increase your muscular strength, endurance, and aerobic fitness, and improve your agility, flexibility, spatial awareness, balance, and coordination.
Practicing a Sport
Although everything I’ve mentioned so far can be considered a sport, what I really mean are sports that are competitive and that require a lot of physical activity. These sports include:
- Soccer (Football)
- Basketball
- Cycling
- Inline skating
- Gymnastics
- Volleyball
- Hockey
These can have a lot of benefits for a 10-year-old. First of all, anyone that practices some form of sport on a regular basis will automatically perform well academically since there are a lot of things in common between the two. In addition to that, sports teach teamwork and problem-solving skills, boost self-esteem, and reduce pressure and stress which is pretty common in kids nowadays.
Conclusion:
Yes, going to the gym as a 10-year-old is good and all, you’ll feel like a grown-up and develop some muscle mass and get stronger a little bit, but it’s the wrong approach in order to reach those goals and not many gyms allow kids. You’re better off going with the alternatives mentioned in this article, they’ll help you reach the same goals much easier, and they offer a lot more benefits.