Flexibility is your joints' ability to move freely through a wide range of motions. Most children are naturally more flexible than adults since joints often tighten up with age. Flexibility issues can occur when a child's joints are too loose or too tight. Although both of these conditions can be normal, they might also indicate some more serious issues. Take your child to his doctor for an evaluation if you notice any serious flexibility issues.
Hypermobility
A child with hypermobility has joints that move beyond the normal range of motion without much effort. The condition occurs in normal, healthy children, but less commonly, it can indicate rare medical conditions, such as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, Marfan syndrome, Down syndrome and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. Some children with the condition report joint pain and swelling, while others are asymptomatic. According to the Miami Children's Hospital, the condition usually does not require specific treatment, although your child might need to take extra care to protect his joints when participating in an athletic program.
Lack of Flexibility
Poor muscle flexibility can cause children to experience tenderness, soreness and pain after participating in athletics. Less flexible muscles often sustain more damage than more flexible ones. A lack of flexibility can also affect his fine and gross motor skills, which can problems in the classroom with writing. Including gentle stretching exercises in children's daily exercise sessions can help improve flexibility. Children with a severe lack of flexibility might need physical therapy to help them overcome their flexibility limitations.
Flexibility and Age
Flexibility varies by age, so certain ages of children are more flexible than others, according to the sports health advice website MomsTeam.com. Children 10 and up start to lose flexibility due to bones that grow faster than their muscles. They regain this flexibility around the age of 13 for girls and 14 for boys. Staying active can help children 10 to 13 maintain flexibility.
Ways to Improve Flexibility
Some sports, like swimming, gymnastics and dance, naturally improve flexibility. If your child participates in another type of sport that does not boost flexibility on its own, such as soccer, include pre-game and post-game stretching to help keep her flexible. Yoga classes are another way to ensure children's bodies regularly move through their entire range of motion to keep joints and bones moving freely. Including regular muscle strengthening activities in your teen or tween's recommended 60 minutes of daily exercise can also improve flexibility and protect her bones and joints from injury.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Strength Training: OK for Kids?
- Mom's Team: Flexibility in Soccer Helps
- "Physical Education for Lifelong Fitness: The Physical Best Teacher's Guide"; Physical Best (Program), National Association for Sport and Physical Education; 2004
- Cleveland Clinic: Benign Hypermobility Joint Syndrome
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