Building stamina in a 5 yr old boy - the old fashioned way

[suzywong]

Hello

My ds1, 5.5yrs has very little physical stamina.
I am aware his gross motor skills need work and I am looking in to gym classes and more outings to big playgrounds and saturday morning bike rides and the like as I think some of his movement techniques are poor and he is doing twice the work and getting half the distance.

But as to the stamina. Is it a tangible thing? Is it a quality one can build? Or is it like gumption and elbow grease? Could it be diet related?

Whaddyareckon?

and by "the old fashioned way" I mean without OT and testing the chemical compound of hair and reiki etc. I mean as if it was 40 years ago when boys were boys, IYSWIM. Bring back National Service probably

6am x country run followed by a freezing cold shower you mean SW? Like in the good old days, what?

Well I should think stamina is much the same thing as aerobic fitness. So the more he does (within reason of course as 5 yo!) the better his stamina should become. Lots of long sunny winter hikes should do the trick!

My 13 yr old DS has absolutely no stamina whatsoever but my 3 yr old can go all day. They have different dads though. I definitely think you have it or you don't (I don't either!) but you can certainly help it along.

Ahem, shall we not mock the methods that built The Empire, young lady

What about your boy, how's his stamina? Am I just expecting too much from him

I am not sure really .... But could it be diet related? Have you had his iron levels tested? my DS usually is like one of those bunnies on the tv (the battery ad) ... but has times of being wiped out with no energy and is unwell with no symptoms bar temp and lethargy. His iron levels were tested and he gets really low. I was told that it is common for young children to have low iron because it all gets used up quickly .... I need to make sure DS (who does eat a good varied diet) take vitamin C (either a supplement and/or orange juice with his evening meals to help him absorb his iron.

that was to ghosty btw.

Yes I know what you mean, my 3 yr old is a dynamo too.
Trouble is we are coming in to Summer here in Aus, so one tends not to race around in the sun. 6 am runs would seem to be the go.

Does he eat well?

Hmmm, I don't know, I think a lot of it comes from inside you.

Apparently my dh was a bit like your ds until his teenage years. Then he took up mountaineering and that sorted it out.

I have always had excess energy levels and remember constantly running around, jumping etc. from a very young age.

I think he is too young for training. I suppose bike rides could work but only if he enjoys them. Getting him to do something that is interesting with the improved fitness as a secondary effect is the way to go I think. Otherwise it may be counterproductive.

Sensible diet is also important, I am sure.

I mean, often enough? 6 small meals a day rather than 3 big meals?
Varied? I know one of yours is picky ... is this the one?

yes he eats OK, from all the food groups ( apart from green veg which as you know The Devil's Work when you are 5).

justaphase, we have decided on bike rides together so he seems to be up for that. I do need to find something likes, I get what you mean.

yes he eats OK, from all the food groups ( apart from green veg which as you know The Devil's Work when you are 5).

justaphase, we have decided on bike rides together so he seems to be up for that. I do need to find something likes, I get what you mean.

Difficult to say where stamina comes from.

Mine (ds 7, dd just 6) have stamina in spades (which is a good thing as ds, who's lunky, is The Slowest Runner in the class, so it's only fair he can at least keep going longer than others). I've always put it down to the fact that we had a nanny who had them walk everywhere (no buggies) from not much more than 2, so it's just been a long-term steady unquestioned part of their lives.

So I'd guess that if it is something you can build up, you have to make v long-term plans - eg, extend walking times very gradually but always consistently, & looking for improvement to show itself over months (or even years) rather than weeks.

yes good point about the walking everywhere

I do think that the marked difference in my boys is down to the fact that ds1 lived in London till 3.4yrs and ds2 till 11 months.

I would up his iron and vit C .... (red meat and green veg [ooops]) if he won't eat dark green vegetables make sure he has the vitamin C with his red meat to help absorb ... that might help.

I am probably confusing energy with stamina aren't I?

Hello Suzy.
Wondered where you were..
Did you have a good time bCK IN bLIGHTY?
(wAS IT A HOLIDAY JUST FOR YOOHOO??)

9bUGGER..)

Hmm,extra helpings of tofu p'rhaps???

Oh ... you are vegetarian Suzy?

I'll get me coat

No I am NOT (did that for 15 years too long)
Moondog is having a larf with me as I cannot stand Tofu.

We have decided to buy a second hand climbing frame for the backyard, I spent most of my child hood hanging from the top bars of one and there''s nowt wrong with me.

Energy and stamina... Mmm. Ds1 (8)has lots of energy and is always fizzing around, but will moan about having to walk too far. Ds2 (5) does not do half as much jumping around, but doggedly persists with whatever activity we have forced him to do - eg swimming painfully slow lengths of the pool or trudging, head-down, into the wind.

I guess you can build stamina by just encouraging exercise - swimming is good as well if it's going to be too hot for running or cycling. My boys do karate too, which is great for self-control as well as stamina. Every term they are graded and have to go through an hour long pre-grading training session, and then an hour of grading. I thought it was fantastic behaviour and concentration from the 4 and 5 year olds.

mine's similar. He'll play out all day, for hours, running all over the place. The minute we have to walk for more than 15 minutes, it's feet dragging, moaning and tears. roll eyes.

Hi Suzywong,
I built up my DS's stamina quite effectively, and this was mostly by walking everywhere and even just walking when we had no where to go. Have never had a car so he walks a lot anyway, then I planned a hiking trip through the mountains of Poland so started training him about three months before (at age 3) with loads of walking, lots of trips to park, running, anything to keep him moving really, also had a backpack for him to help carry shopping home too!. It worked and he managed the hiking in the mountains for ten days, averaging 6-8 miles a day (with lots of breaks, water and bananas!!)

Think slow but consistant, bike rides sound great. I found with mine as training increased so did his need for regular high energy 'snacks' (bananas, nuts, dried fruit, cereal) and protein.

Hope that helps!

Hi suzy Agree with lots of walking - we removed the buggy board from DS at age 4 and his ability to walk long distances improved quite dramatically over a couple of weeks albeit with quite a lot of moaning in the interim. Now at age 5 will do quite long walks (like a few hours). I think you just have to put up with the complaints and gradually extend the time spent actually moving! At tennis they make them run round the courts a few times - can you get your DS to run around the park?

Walking everywhere. Walking for fun.
Ds is a nesh little whingepot by inclination but a few forced marches up and down the Darenth Valley mean he can do six miles plus when pressed.
Yours will get better purely as he grows though Suzy - when he discovers the Joy of Football.

Another vote for walking everywhere. We put our foot down and refused to buy a double buggy or buggy board when DD2 was born. Therefore DD1 (then aged 3) HAD to walk. For the first few months it was a real trial. Now - a year later - she is walking to and from school every day (a 25 minute walk each way) and still has a reasonable amount of energy left over, despite dealing with all the new experiences that Reception class is throwing at her.

I do also give her iron supplements from time to time, I get iron-rich water sachets from Holland and Barrett and slip them in her orange juice, when she's going through a tired-all-the-time and eating poorly phase. Mind you, come to think of it, she hasn't had too many recently.