When children and teens establish good exercise and nutrition habits early on, they will be more likely to maintain these habits and live a healthier life. Teenagers need a nutritious diet to fuel their developing bodies. With regular exercise and a healthy diet, teens can maintain a healthy weight and reap a wide variety of other health benefits.
Significance
Proper exercise and nutrition can help teens maintain caloric balance and a healthy weight. Obesity puts teens at risk of heart disease, diabetes, sleep apnea, asthma and social discrimination, warns the CDC. Regular aerobic exercise can help teens and adults reduce their risk of heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and some cancers. High-impact, weight-bearing exercise also helps children build strong bones and prevent osteoporosis in later life.
Daily Exercise
Children and teens from 6 to 17 should get at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity daily, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Teens can get this hour of exercise in multiple short segments of 10 minutes or more. For example, a teen's 60 minutes of activity could include a 10-minute brisk walk to school, a 10-minute walk home, a 20-minute bike ride and a 20-minute active backyard game.
Types of Exercise
Most of a teen's daily physical activity should consist of aerobic exercise that gets the heart rate up. Moderate forms of aerobic exercise include brisk walking, doubles tennis and leisurely cycling. More intense forms of aerobic exercise include running, jumping rope or playing basketball. Teens should also get muscle-strengthening exercise, such as push-ups or sit-ups, on at least three days each week, and bone-strengthening exercise, such as running or jumping rope, on at least three days a week, the CDC recommends.
Nutrition
A healthy diet for teens should include plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Choose whole wheat bread and pasta instead of white whenever possible, and limit simple carbohydrates such as refined pasta, white bread and desserts. A healthy diet should also include low-fat dairy products such as skim milk, low-fat yogurt and low-fat cheese, as well as lean meats, fish and legumes. Dairy products provide a good source of calcium that will help teens build strong bones. Lean meats, fish and legumes, including lentils and beans, provide good sources of protein. Like adults, teens should limit their intake of sodas and other sugar-sweetened drinks.
Considerations
Set a good example for your teens by following a healthy diet and getting regular exercise. Try to incorporate active outings into your family's routine. For example, take walks with your teens after dinner or take weekly bike rides. Reduce the amount of time your teens spend on sedentary activities by limiting TV and computer time. If you buy video games for your teens, make them games that involve movement, such as dance or sport games, the Mayo Clinic suggests.
Member Comments