ACSM Fitness Trends

The National Youth Sports Health & Safety Institute (NYSHSI) strives to enhance the experience, development, health and safety of youth in sports by sharing the latest in evidence-based education and research and promoting beneficial public policy. NYSHSI has numerous resources on youth sport and fitness. Visit their resource page to find articles, handouts and more on:

• Environmental Challenges
• Playing with Chronic Disease and Disability
• Physical Activity & Health
• Sports Nutrition
• Sports Trauma
• Training & Competition Overload
• Youth Athlete Development

Healthy Youth Sports Podcast | Join Eric Utterback, Director of the National Youth Sports Health & Safety Institute, as he discusses youth and adolescent sports, injury prevention, physical activity and health, with some of the world's leading subject matter experts. This podcast is designed for coaches, administrators, parents and athletes. Episodes are released bi-weekly on Wednesdays.

• Listen on Spotify
• Listen on Apple Podcasts

Youth Fitness Specialist Certificate | NYSHSI and ACSM partnered to create the ACSM National Youth Fitness Specialist Certificate for professionals who want to better understand the unique exercise physiology and needs of children and young athletes. Blogs & Resources

• ACSM's Essentials of Youth Fitness | Book
• Effective Strategies to Enhance Long-Term Athletic Development: How to Reduce Overuse and Burnout Injuries in Youth Athletes | Infographic and Article
• Back into Action: A Coach's Guide to Putting a Player back in the Game | Infographic
• Activity Guidelines for School-Age Children | Infographic
• 10 Tips for Building Fit Kids | Infographic
• Young Runners Can Build a More Robust Skeleton with Multidirectional Sports | Stuart J. Warden, P.T., Ph.D., FACSM, and Robyn K. Fuchs, Ph.D., FACSM *Member exclusive
• Adolescents with Sports-Related Concussion Recover Faster when they adhere to an Aerobic Exercise Prescription | John J. Leddy, M.D., FACSM *Member exclusive
• Mythbusting: Youth Resistance Training | Avery D. Faigenbaum, Ed.D., FACSM; Rhodri S. Lloyd, Ph.D.; Jon L. Oliver, Ph.D.
• 10 Myths about Youth Physical Activity | Avery D. Faigenbaum, Ed.D., FACSM, Rhodri S. Lloyd, Ph.D., Jon L. Oliver, Ph.D.

ACSM Journal Articles

• May the Force by with Youth: Foundational Strength for Lifelong Development | by Faigenbaum and colleagues, published in Current Sports Medicine Reports
• Heads Up: Effective Strategies for Promoting Mental Health Literacy in Youth Fitness Programs | by Faignebaum and colleagues, published in ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal®
• Relative Skeletal Maturity and Performance Test Outcomes in Elite Youth Middle Eastern Soccer Players | by Lolli and colleagues, published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise®
• Running Every Time, Planking Sometimes: Youth Adherence to a Neuromuscular Training Program | by Räisänen and colleagues, published in the Translational Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine
• Sport Participation and Academic Performance in Children and Adolescents | by Owen and colleagues, published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise®
• Enhanced Bone Size, Microarchitecture, and Strength in Female Runners with a History of playing Multidirectional Sports | by Warden and colleagues, published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise®
• Reenvisioning Postpandemic Youth Sport to Meet Young People's Mental, Emotional and Social Needs | by Whitley and colleagues, published in the Translational Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine
• High Specialization among Female Youth Soccer Players Is Associated with an Increased Likelihood of Serious Injury | by Xiao and colleagues, published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise®
• Making a Strong Case for Prioritizing Muscular Fitness in Youth Physical Activity Guidelines | by Faignbaum and colleagues, published in Current Sports Medicine Reports
• Long-term Athletic Development as a Framework to Influence Wellness During Childhood and Adolescence | by Eisenmann and colleagues, published in ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal®
• Development of Concise Physical Performance Test Batteries in Young Athletes | by Lentz and colleagues, published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise®
• Select Issues in Pain Management for the Youth and Adolescent Athlete | Team Physician Consensus Conference Statement, 2020, published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise®
• Youth Distance Running: Strategies for Training and Injury Reduction | by Krabak and colleagues, published in Current Sports Medicine Reports

CEC Opportunities

• The Power of Play | This course examines the role of play in the development of crucial physical, social, and cognitive skills over the course of childhood and adolescence, as well as the importance of adult relationships, quality nutrition, and a stimulating environment that supports brain development. 1 CEC
• After School Physical Activity Programs: A Unique New Business Opportunity for Fitness Professionals | See a case study of a program designed to offer age-appropriate, culturally relevant and free programs to families who cannot afford after-school programs;. The program provides structured physical activity and nutrition classes in schools where they do not exist creating a unique environment in which health fitness professionals can work. 3 CECs