Expert: Dianne M. Buxton - 1/7/2008

Question
My daughter is 8 years old and is in Jazz, ballet, tap, 12 hours a week.  The
studio is requesting half pound ankle and wrist weights for her to train in.
She is on the competition team so works out quite a bit.  I'm just need to be sure
she isn't to young for this type of training.

Answer
I would say approach with extreme caution! Most pediatricians would say weights for 8 year olds is dangerous to the developing skeleton. If you have an expert trainer/dance medicine specialist/kinesiologist working with each child and watching carefully, maybe. A dance teacher who took a weekend course in weights will not do.

The use of weights leads me to - when is her recovery time? Even now in fact, when is her recovery time?

There is a risk for damaging the growth plates of her bones, and stress fractures.

Even though some studies show that pre-pubescent children can benefit from weight training, the studies are not done on dancers, 8 year olds, or kids who are already training 12 hours a week.

Also, with weight training, form must be perfect. Since I can't see the quality of the work she is being taught, I can't comment much more.

I just can't stretch my imagination to where an 8 year old that busy would need to work with weights.

Ask your doctor, absolutely ask your doctor. He/she probably won't know the latest word on this, but would more likely say "not recommended".

Again, unless supervised personally by an expert with lots of experience, I wouldn't dream of it!

My background is professional ballet training. I've never seen weight training in children except in teen age boys who can already partner girls and more likely want a more built up looking shape, rather than actually need more strength.

I'm rambling a bit here as I am still trying to figure out why little girls need weights! It makes me think something else is lacking in the training she's already doing, or it's just a fashion the dance "industry" is foolishly adopting.

I need to study this further, and I will add to this answer.

Ask her doctor!

HI KRISTINE - HERE IS SOME MORE INFO. I asked another expert who is also a dance medicine specialist. Here is her answer:

"This is a tricky question.  Strength training for 8 year olds isn't out of the question when it is done in a supervised, knowledgeable fashion.  
 My concern, is quantity over quality.  My personal preference if they were going to add in some weight training for their competition team, is to use resistance bands.  With it being a closed chain activity rather than open chain with a weight on the end of their leg - they will have less of a tendency to hoist up - or swing their arms or legs  
to just get them up - and create more strain than strength.  The strength training will only be as good as the person leading them through it.
Hope that helped..... "
Here are a couple of sites with some information
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/strength-training/HQ01010

http://sportsmedicine.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/
XJ&sdn=sportsmedicine&cdn=health&tm=21&f=20&su=p726.2.152.ip_p284.8.150.
ip_&tt=2&bt=1&bts=0&zu=http%3A//www.physsportsmed.com/issues/1999/
01%255F99/difiori.htm

All the best, Kristine, Dianne

A brief follow up - I've recommended to almost everyone to read my articles and blog entries at http://www.theballetstore.com You have to create a user name to log in to see all the blog entries - your privacy is safe! I really apologize that I didn't tell you this - I'm not a technical person!