What are the physiological differences between children and adults and how do they affect exercise assessment and program design?

Children are not miniature adults. The challenges presented by exercise to growing children and mature adults may appear similar, but they are based on fundamentally different mechanisms. The child's immature temperature, regulatory, skeletal, and nervous systems are often unable to tolerate the same level of physical stress as the mature adult. Young children cannot learn motor skills as rapidly as adults or achieve the same degrees of physical fitness. In essence, just because the child seems physiologically ready does not mean that they have the other skills (motor, cognitive, verbal and emotional skills) required for the training program.