How young is too young to start running? | Livestrong.com (2023)

Running is a safe and beneficial activity for children as long as they don't over-train.

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Children are made for movement. Many of them sprint, romp, jump, roll, and climb without much adult prompting. If you're a parent, you might see an opportunity to put some of that energy into distance running. Wouldn't it be great if the whole family could join in?

You may be wondering if there are any guidelines to follow to keep your little prefontaine-in-the-making safe. How young is too young to start running?

While there is no black and white answer, there are some ways to help your child start running and keep them healthy and motivated in the long run. This guide will help you make running a fun activity to share with your child.

Running is a safe and beneficial activity for children as long as they don't over-train. While there's no chart to tell you that age X can cover distance X, there are ways for elementary school-age kids to exercise without overdoing it. However, guidelines from theCleveland Clinicsay, the younger the child is, the shorter the distance should be run.

If you look at themPhysical Activity Guidelines for Americansissued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, it will tell you that children ages 3 to 5 need to be physically active in a variety of activities throughout the day. Children and young adults aged 6 to 17 need at least an hour of moderate to vigorous activity daily to build aerobic capacity, bones and muscles.

"We're basically born as blobs and within two years we're walking."Kendell M. Jno-Finn, PT, DPT, Owner ofM3Performance and Physiotherapy, says. “We are designed and built to move. Running is a self-limiting activity. So if you allow the child's nature to control the distance, everything is fine.”

Walking around the house is obviously different from queuing to walk5K. So it's best to wait until your child asks to enter a race or expresses a desire to run before registering them for the competition.

Then, as with adults, the amount they can handle will be very individual.

“The first thing we have to do is assess what capacity they have,” says Jno-Finn. "If you see them running now and they look like a newborn deer, then they probably have nothing to do with running yet. You must spend some time letting them crawl, do itbear crawls, Panther walks and develops the large muscles along the spine that hold you upright."

As your child walks in a controlled manner, see how far they are going to determine next steps. For example, if they want to run a one-mile amusement run, see how far they can go without stopping. Maybe they sprint a quarter mile and then stop. You can help them develop the right pace, form, and breathing, and slowly work their way up to a mile—just like when an adult starts running. As long as your child isn't being forced to run a distance they can't physically handle — and they enjoy running — they should be fine.

Not only can you watch your child walk, but you can also do a mobility screening. You can check a few things at home to get started. See if they can raise their knee to their chest while lying down and check their range of motion in a deep overhead squat.

If you find your child's movement is shaky at any age, it's best to speak to a professional. While you might be able to design a program to support your movements at home, Jno-Finn recommends consulting a physical therapist and/or trainer to help develop your runner through the three phases of mobility, stability, and function. By getting them to walk properly, they are prepared to handle the power that running generates, which sets them up for long-term success.

To teach them great form, Jno-Finn again invites you to look at running through the lens of mobility, stability and function.

You can work through on mobilityDynamic warm-up exercisesand stretch. Have kids do moves like this90/90 stretch, the frog stretch andRunner lungesto get her hips active. They can also do jumps, butt kicks, high knees, toe walks, heel walks, and tin man walks before they start running. In terms of stability, work on strengthening the posterior chain (the muscles at the back of your body) and core strength and integration.

When you teach your childrunning shape, show them what to do, just like any other sport. Demonstrate ideal head position, arm swing, knee movement, foot strike, etc. Have them mimic proper running form while standing in place.

Give them specific cues as they run, like "try to land softly so we can barely hear your feet" and "shoulders down, head up." But don't overwhelm them with feedback—give them one thing at a time to work on.

Breathing while running is especially important to show them while talking about form — and something many kids are never taught. Allow them to breathe in and out in a controlled manner. Perhaps have them adjust their steps to each breath: three steps in, two steps out. If her breathing gets out of control, have her stop and walk to regain her composure. As any adult runner knows, this will go a long way towards building endurance while still enjoying the activity.

For some kids, a modified Couch-to-5K program will work. Mixing short running intervals with longer walking breaks helps them build endurance and stamina. It's safe and effective. But many children will find this type of training boring.

Jno-Finn says there are countless ways to make running fun.

"You can say, 'Today we're going to walk a mile.' But the mile is not a continuous mile,” he says. “If you have access to a track, you can run 100 meters, walk 100 meters, or run the straights and walk the corners. You can also make them run fast when you whistle and then jog or walk when you whistle again. So they're really trying to limit long-distance running, especially if they don't have that capacity. They slowly build capacity. And above all, training should be fun. They should learn something and have more confidence than before."

You can also find a local team in your community. For elementary school students, there may be an organized running club at your local recreation center. Most coaches working with younger kids will keep things interesting and cap the continuous miles with activities like dodgeball, freeze tag, and relay races. These activities will help build their stamina while maintaining fun and socializing.

Once kids reach middle school, school-sanctioned track and field and cross-country teams will likely be available to them. Most school coaches are trained and certified, giving them the knowledge to not only help kids run, but to help athletes improve.

If a child's end goal is a race, start with something small like a mile or 5K, depending on their mileage and motivation. There are many races for kids that you can do as a family, as well as programs likegirl on the runthat make finishing a race the ultimate goal.

Of course, if your child hates running, don't force them to run. There are many other ways to keep them active and moving.

Here is a sample training plan to prepare your motivated child for their first 5k run. These workouts are guidelines and should be tailored to your child's fitness and motivation level, taking into account any other physical activity they did during the day. Keep in mind that it is best to wait until your child is around 8 years old or older to run such a distance.

The goal is to get them "running" three days a week, with a rest day between each active day. After each session, have them do a dynamic warm-up and cool-down.

‌Tag 1:‌ For an initial running assessment, have your child set the pace and tell them to run as long as they can.

‌Tag 2:‌ Run 4 minutes slow, 2 minutes medium and 30 seconds fast for a total of 20 minutes. Mix up the intervals to keep it fun and surprising. Go as needed.

‌Tag 3:‌ Ongoing scavenger hunt. Make a list of items that will keep you and your child from searching for at least 40 minutes. Walk around until you find everything. Go as needed.

‌Tag 1:‌ Run 30 seconds and walk 3 minutes for 1 mile.

‌Tag 2:‌ Run 1 minute focused on breathing and go to full recovery. Repeat for 1 mile or more depending on how you are feeling

‌Tag 3:‌ Run the straights and walk the corners at a local racetrack. This can also be done on a soccer field. Complete six to eight loops, changing direction halfway

‌Tag 1:‌ Run like another animal (of your choice) for 10 seconds, followed by 40 seconds of running and 2 minutes of walking. Continue this cycle for 20 minutes, keeping the animal and walk time the same, but running longer and shorter. (Older or more serious kids may want to do exercises instead of animal imitations.)

‌Tag 2:‌ Bike ride (indoor or outdoor) for five 10-minute rides. After each 10-minute block, get off the bike and do a "Simon Says" exercise sequence (think: frog jumps, jumping jacks, standing on one leg, etc.) for 1 to 2 minutes, depending on attention span and fatigue level.

‌Tag 3‌: Run a quarter mile, then rest. Complete this to make 2 miles.

‌Tag 1:‌ Ride a bike, set your pace and distance.

‌Tag 2:‌ Run 1 minute and walk 2 minutes for 2 miles. If you can stretch the runtime longer or want to run less, that's great!

‌Tag 3:‌ Do the above running scavenger hunt with new objects for 40 minutes.

‌Tag 1:‌ Do another run evaluation to see if they've improved their pace and endurance.

‌Tag 2:‌ Run half a mile, then rest. Continue this to make it to 3 miles.

‌Tag 3:‌ Backyard or playground course. Create obstacles and exercise stations for them to complete while running for 20-30 minutes.

‌Tag 1:‌ Slow, medium, and fast running with objects they choose as markers in the distance (e.g. running fast to the mailbox, then running slowly to that tree) for 25 to 30 minutes.

‌Tag 2:‌ Bike tour with breaks for 40 minutes.

‌Tag 3:race day! Put the emphasis on finishing the race and having fun - you don't have to worry about running the whole distance the first time, especially if they are under 13.

DieAmerican Academy of Pediatrics(AAP) estimates that 50 percent of sports injuries in children are due to overuse. In running, this can be caused by children running a forced distance without the right form and/or fitness.

"Some of the more common injuries that we've seen are stress fractures in children and tendinitis and bursitis," says Jno-Finn. “In addition, you can see when a child is going through a growth spurtOsgood-Schlatter disease. We also see growth plate injuries because as the child grows, the growth plate remains open."

To keep growth plate injuries at bay, it is beneficial to have a long-term athletic development program, especially during the teenage years.

"We have to constantly reassess where this kid is," says Jno-Finn. "When they hit a growth spurt we actually slow them down and that's because at that time we're actually working on mobility and should help them figure out what we call shared positional awareness, because when you grow vertically, you do it very clumsy."

Your young athlete needs vitamins, minerals and healthy calories to keep them energetic and alert. While it's true that your body will burn whatever you put into it - whether it's cheeseburgers and chicken fingers or apples and baked chicken - choosing the latter will improve performance and reduce the risk of injury. The same goes for proper hydration.

In a perfect world, children would eat balanced meals and snacks that are timed to match their activities. That would look something like this:

But we all know that school lunch schedules, birthday cupcakes, and the constant yelling "I'm not hungry" will disrupt that energy schedule. That's okay. When child athletes have access to healthy snacks throughout the day, eat a generally balanced diet, and drink water, they should have the energy they need to run.

Just be aware that on days when they run more or have both gym classes and training, they may need extra water breaks and extra carbs and protein. This is especially true for children going through a growth spurt.

Just like adults, children need supportive shoes when walking. First, take a look at your child's feet and check their arches. You can also ask your pediatrician to help you evaluate if they have flat feet, high arches, and pronation. From there, head to your local athletic store and look for a shoe that will support your child's unique foot shape.

Some tips for finding the best running shoes for your child, according to Jno-Finn:

Some children just love to run. If you have a child who has outpaced their peers for distance and speed, you may be looking for ways to help them progress and stay healthy. When Jno-Finn encounters a kid with this kind of talent and drive, he encourages them to diversify their training so they can move well, develop multiple muscle groups, and avoid specialization burnout.

"A coach or physical therapist has to say, 'I know you like running, but this weekend we're going to go rock climbing or try taekwondo,'" he says. "You're trying to lay a foundation for your child to lead a healthy, active lifestyle. That is the goal. My advice to parents of a child who loves running or other sports is to give them something else to do. "