Many parents might wonder “When can my child start CrossFit?” CrossFit training is designed to be able to incorporate functional fitness and improve health for kids as young as Pre-K. Throughout the developmental stages of a child’s life, classes for different age groups will look differently!

At the Pre-K level, classes will most likely be about 30 minutes long, 1 or 2 times a week, with a segment for whiteboard time, movement demonstration and skill work, skill implementation or obstacle course, and a game. The highest priority at the Pre-K level is to build engagement with children around structured play and just to get moving while having fun. Typically, there will be 3-5 Pre-K age children in a class per coach.

At the Kids level, typically ages 5-8, a similar class structure applies. A bit more time is spent on skill development with more specific cues to help kids begin to conceptualize the main parts of a movement, such as a squat. A coach may use terms like “superhero squats” to familiarize children with cues such as keeping our arms up and chest tall during a standard air squat. Games are usually played on teams, where the kids are expected to follow a set of rules, and incorporate a little bit of friendly competition! A typical Kids group could range from 6-8 kids per one coach.

At the Pre-Teen to teen level (9-13+), these classes look a little bit more like the standard CrossFit classes. Coaches begin to implement more mobility and dynamic movement to prepare the kids for a bit more complex movement patterns, especially with loading of weights, or increased pace for intensity. At this level, pre-teens or teens may begin to work with the olympic lifts, and independently progress in higher-level gymnastics skills to incorporate in workouts. Coaches can choose to incorporate games, or accessory work at the end of class, depending on the needs of the group. A typical pre-teen or teens class will incorporate 6-8 in one class.

Although many kids and teens have their own extra-curricular activities, CrossFit training is a great change in their routine to help supplement their athletics, and have a fun time meeting other fit kids and teens their age. Many times kids and teens often will subtly even begin to pick up on the mindsets and habits of their parents and coaches training in the CrossFit gym!

If you’re ready to get your child started with CrossFit Kids, shoot us an email at cheryl@crossfitdesplaines.com to learn more about class times and class availability.