Muscle Strengthening for Kids and Teens: What Counts

Children and teens aged 6 to 17 need muscle-strengthening activity on at least 3 days a week, according to the CDC. That recommendation sits inside a daily goal of 60 minutes or more of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.

1. The CDC numbers for ages 6 to 17

The CDC's overview for this age group lists three parts of the 60-minute daily goal:

• Aerobic activity: most of the daily 60 minutes or more, with vigorous-intensity activity on at least 3 days a week.
• Muscle-strengthening: activities like climbing or doing push-ups, at least 3 days a week.
• Bone-strengthening: activities such as jumping or running, at least 3 days a week.

The CDC notes that many activities fall under multiple categories, so a single game can cover more than one.

For children aged 3 to 5, the CDC does not list a muscle-strengthening target. It says they should be physically active throughout the day for growth and development, with caregivers encouraging active play.

2. What counts, by age

The CDC's "what counts" page lists examples separately for school-aged children and adolescents.

The difference between the columns is that adolescents' list includes weight machines and hand-held weights, while the school-aged list does not.

3. What the NHS adds

The NHS guideline covers ages 5 to 18 and uses a similar structure. Children and young people need two types of activity each week: aerobic exercise, and exercises to strengthen muscles and bones. They should average at least 60 minutes of moderate or vigorous activity a day across the week.

The NHS examples for muscle and bone strengthening include gymnastics, football, jumping, martial arts, and, for young people, sit-ups, press-ups and similar exercises. For young people it also lists resistance exercises with exercise bands, weight machines or handheld weights.

The NHS includes a clear condition on weights: young people can use weights for resistance exercise if a qualified adult trains them to use the weights correctly and supervises them.

For children and young people living with a disability, the NHS suggests aiming for 20 minutes of physical activity a day, split into smaller chunks if needed, along with challenging but manageable strength and balance activities 3 times a week.

4. The talk test for intensity

Both agencies use the same simple check for the aerobic part. The CDC says that at moderate intensity, children can talk but not sing; at vigorous intensity, they can only say a few words without pausing for a breath. The NHS uses the same talk-but-not-sing rule for moderate activity.

5. Practical ways to reach 3 days a week

These examples come directly from the CDC and NHS lists:

1. A weekly playground visit that includes climbing equipment counts for school-aged children.
2. A short set of push-ups or body-weight exercises on three days counts for teens.
3. Gymnastics, martial arts or a sport with jumping can cover both muscle and bone targets at once.
4. A school-aged child can use a resistance band for body-weight style exercises, according to the CDC.

6. Safety points in the sources

The NHS lists general safety points: get medical advice about exercising if a child has a health condition; choose exercise that is suitable for the child's age, ability and experience; start any new exercise slowly and increase it bit by bit; and use protective equipment for activities such as cycling and skateboarding.

These sources do not give a rep count, set count or weight for children. A parent who wants a specific program for a teen should ask a doctor or a qualified trainer rather than adapting adult numbers.

7. Key takeaways

• CDC: ages 6 to 17 need muscle-strengthening on at least 3 days a week, inside a 60-minute daily activity goal.
• Climbing, push-ups, tug of war and body-weight or band exercises count; teens' list adds machines and hand-held weights.
• The NHS says young people can use weights only if a qualified adult trains and supervises them.
• Start slowly and ask a doctor first if a child has a health condition.