The teen years involve growth spurts and hormonal changes that can leave your child feeling low in self-confidence. According to KidsHealth, not all teens have the same body type or develop at the same rate. Therefore, it can be difficult to judge who is overweight versus who might be muscular. However, fitness levels among children are on the decline, states the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. The AAOS recommends that children exercise 30 to 60 minutes per day, which can help build strong bones and muscle, possibly preventing disease later in life.
Healthy Variety
Instead of following a "diet" like a low-carb diet, help your teen understand that dieting means choosing a variety of healthy foods. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, recommends emphasizing fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products. Provide lean meats like chicken, fish, beans, eggs and nuts to your teen. Steer them clear of foods high in saturated fats, cholesterol and added sugars. Keep cut-up vegetables and fruits in the refrigerator for easy snacks, eliminating junk food as well as fast food. Pop some popcorn the old-fashioned way, and season it with olive oil and spices instead of salt for a tasty treat.
Diet Tools
The U.S. Department of Agriculture website has many different interactive tools to help your teen keep track of his daily meals and weight loss goals. For instance, the MyPyramidTracker helps him choose the right balance of foods and calories, according to the federal government's food pyramid. He can fill out a form, entering his height, weight, age and the amount of exercise he gets per day, and the site will provide a tracking guide. He can also click on different icons to learn about what types of foods comprise the different levels of the pyramids. Another feature can tell him exactly how many calories are in a specific food. The guide also gives him a daily calorie goal where he can keep tabs on how much he has eaten on a daily and weekly basis. You can even add yourself to the tracker, making the exercise a family affair.
Sit-Backs
One easy abdominal exercise for your teen is called the sit-back, which you may want to try first. KidsHealth recommends beginning by sitting on the floor, with legs bent and arms straight out in front of you. Engage your abdominal muscles by pulling them in and up, keeping your back straight. Slowly sit back, feeling your abs tighten to continue keeping a straight back. Go back as far as you can without losing the posture, and then slowly sit back up to the starting position. The site recommends repeating this exercise 10 times, and, as you get stronger, you can add more sets of 10.
Criss-Cross
The criss-cross is a Pilates move that fully engages the core muscles, working the abdominals and the obliques. Again, you may want to try this before your teen so that you can help him with his form. Begin by lying on your back with your knees bent at 90 degrees. Lift your shoulders slightly off the ground by engaging your abs, not your neck, and place your hands behind your neck, elbows bent. Exhale and stretch your right leg straight while simultaneously using your abdominal muscles to move your right elbow toward your left knee. Inhale and come back to the starting position, performing the same movement the opposite way. You can repeat 10 times on each side.
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