tumbling unhealthy? Underage excercises?

[Matthius100]

the news claimes that tumbling can be unhealthy, but being flexible is healthy? is there an age requirement for excercises really? everyone says gaining muscle mass shortens your lifespan if done at an early age. what about muscle strength? (high reps, low weight) If everything that makes you healthy is unhealthy, than what is really healthy? Being fat? IS INTERNAL STRENGTH UNHEALTHY? GOD HELP US ALL!

[The Wastrel]

Matt,
Some forms of flexibility associated with gymnastics can be very bad for you in the long-term, especially when you are dealing with the flexibility of as-yet underdeveloped limbs. I have read somewhere that it's not good to get kids working up this amazing spinal flexibility.

[albert]

I agree. A friend of mine is only 20 and already has pretty bad wrist problems because of gymnastics in younger years. <resists urge for masturbation reference>

[Nid]

Flexibility is more of a fitness component, and it's a case of more not neccesarily being better.

Re; fatness (like flexibility), there's an appropriate bell curve, with the extremes (either way) being potentially detrimental.

As for "muscle mass" at an early age...how early? What are the means used to acquire it?

I can't imagine someone having too much strength though.

[Student]

'I can't imagine someone having too much strength though.'

I think the opposite - I think a young person will be able to develop their strength, but will most likely not develop the same Muscle Mass that an adult would.

[Nid]

I shoulda said, I can't imagine too much strength (in and of itself) being unhealthy at any point.

[Student]

that makes much more sense - I just misread your post.

[Matthius100]

that 10 year old bodybuilder... is unhealthy? It just seems to me that if you work out below the age of 18 you get problems in the long run.

[Nid]

It's hard to say with such a vague assertion.