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Children running

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Anybody have any opinions about how soon is too early to start running? My daughter is 10 and considering my own knee problems, I am hesitant to let her run more than about a mile at a time. I have encouraged her to bike while I run. Are my concerns unfounded? Or are there things that we can do to reduce any risks associated with young athlete’s running?

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6 comments

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    9 10

    A couple of weeks after my initial post, my daughter developed some pain in the outside ankle region. I had her rest if on the days that she didn’t have soccer/softball games/practices (about 2-3 consecutive days each week) and it gradually improved.

    Although I was the initial person asking the question, I am going to add to other suggestions that others made in case another parent reads this.

    1.) Make sure that they have really good shoes to run in!

    2.) Do not allow them to train by running up and down hills as this puts too much stress on the foot.

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    9 10

    hi!

    i am i runner and i coach county standard athletes aged 10-12,

    i feel that it is important not to specialize events at a young age and all round athletics abilities should be developed.

    I dont see too much of a problem letting your daughter running upto about 2 miles once per week with the odd cross country race but it is important that children take part in more fun based activities such as sprint relays and sports hall athletics.

    i dont think that children should should specialize in one event until they are about 14-16 years old. Although my main even was 800/1500m i still competed in other events such as long jump,javelin and hurdles until i was 16 because i used to enjoy these events very much. im 20 years old now but i still enter the odd pole vault comp just for the crack!

    turls

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    9 10

    Thanks. I think this pretty much confirms how I felt — that I should limit it somewhat especially in terms of the surface that she runs on.

    Also, an excellent point about the knee problem possibly be heriditary. Certainly, if they have found that women are experiencing knee problems as a result of the structure of their bodies, their could be similarities between mother and child that would also tend to make the child likely to develop trouble.

    My knee problems are related to the meniscus and possibly other cartilidge. I am currently getting over an MCL tear, but it is my theory that an underlying meniscus problem was at the root of the initial injury. I think weakness is other areas of my leg (and the stubborness to keep running) have contributed to my problems. Maybe the swimming that she does will help.

    Thanks for your answers!

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    9 10

    Hi,

    I agree with the above. If you have knee problems there may be a biomechanical problem that has been passed onto your daughter.

    The best thing you can do is take her to a good podiatrist or physio that can do gait analysis to check if everything is OK rather than wait for it to happen.

    If she wants to run it is a shame to hold her back – anyone should avoid hard surfaces such as roads on a regular basis.

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    9 10

    What type of knee problems do you have? Certain types of knee problems such as patellofemoral problems are caused by structural abnormalities in the knee and may be hereditary so you should probably keep an eye out for these problems developing in her.

    Another concern I would have with her running at such a young age is the fact that she could develop Oshgood Schlater’s disease. This is a condition most common in children of middle school age. Bascically what happens is the infrapatellar tendon below the knee will start to pull away from the knee cap, resulting in pain and potentially an avulsion fracture.

    On the other hand, by encouraging your daughter to start exercising regularly so early on in life you are increasing her liklyhood of continuing this type of activity throughout her life.

    If I were you I’d have her checked out by your doctor or ideally a sports medicine doctor before she begins any intense running. He/she will probably agree that it is okay to run, just not too much. Hope this helps!

    runnerchick

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    9 10

    Hi,
    I ran cross country in middle school, I think i started when i was 11. I would be hesitant to have her run on the roads, maybe running through the woods or on a track would be a better surface to run on. As long as she is pain free she should be ok, as long as she can handle the distances. I wouldnt push her though, because thats how burnouts happen. Good luck!

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