Wander into the fitness section of any bookstore, and you're sure to see volumes that sing the praises of weight training for building bone density and improving strength. The benefits of strength training, or weight training, have been extensively verified in adults, but can teens and kids experience the same benefits?

Several Hong Kong doctors studied 82 obese children whose parents consented to allow them to participate in a six-week diet and exercise program. Half of the children exercised regularly in a program that emphasized weight training, and half of the children did not participate in a training program. At the end of the six weeks, the cholesterol levels of the children in both groups were reduced, but the children in the training group experienced increases in muscle mass that the nontraining group did not.

The American Academy of Pediatrics endorses strength training as a way for kids and teens to improve their fitness levels and improve strength, and this study indicates that overweight teens can benefit from the lowered cholesterol levels and increases in muscle that strength training provides. Younger children can begin with simple strength training exercises that use their own body weight, such as sit-ups and push-ups, whereas older children can use light weights and high repetitions. Talk to your child's doctor or a pediatric sports medicine specialist about the best and safest strength training exercises for your child.

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Sources:  Sung RY, Yu CW, Chang SK, Mo SW, Woo KS, Lam CW. Effects of dietary intervention and strength training on blood lipid level in obese children. Archives of Disease in Childhood 2002 Jun;86(6):407-10; American Academy of Pediatrics, www.aap.org