The old wives' tale that strength training will stunt a child's growth is just that; there's no evidence that a few pushups will have any such effect. Pushups and other forms of resistance exercise are safe for most school-age children, but they shouldn't be encouraged to try to "bulk up" or build too much muscle at a young age.
Facts
In the past, conventional wisdom dictated that resistance or strength training would stunt a child's growth by damaging his "growth plates." However, experts now agree that some resistance training --- mainly exercises that use a child's own body weight as resistance --- can enhance bone and muscle development, the American Council on Exercise reports. Parents and physical-education teachers can begin teaching children proper form for exercises such as pushups and situps, with appropriate modifications, at a young age.
Form
Maintaining proper form when doing pushups will help you avoid injury. Always keep your back straight and wrists pointed forward, and don't push your backside up higher than the rest of your body. If you experience too much joint strain, try a modified bent-knee pushup, or do the exercise while standing with your hands placed on a wall. Stop when you get tired and/or start to sacrifice good form.
Safety
Exercises such as pushups are safe for most children, as long as they use proper form and are supervised by an adult. Kids shouldn't do strength exercises to try to "bulk up"; building internal muscle strength should be the primary goal, as most visible muscle growth doesn't occur until after puberty. Strength training should be preceded and followed by stretches and aerobic exercise, and it should only be done every other day, up to two or three times per week.
Repetitions
If you're new to doing pushups, start with one set of about eight to 15 repetitions; if you can't make it to eight with good form, just do as many as you can and try to increase your repetitions gradually over time. Many kids try to compete with one another to see who can do the most pushups; however, this can lead to poor form and carries the potential for injury.
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