The teenage years mark some of the fastest growing periods for the body, especially in the legs as a teen grows towards full height. Regular exercise is required to ensure that during this time period, strong bones and muscles can develop to set the groundwork for a healthy and long life. To help ensure proper development, it's important that teenagers average a healthy amount of exercise each week.
Aerobic
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that adolescents get at least an hour of exercise every day. This exercise can come in traditional forms, such as going for a run, hike or swim, but can also come from recreational activities such as after-school sports or physical education classes.
Strength Training
Teenagers should average three days a week of included strength training activities, according to the CDC. Strength training helps encourage strong muscle growth and increases lean muscle mass. The greater the percentage of lean muscle a teen carries, the more efficiently her body burns calories -- making it easier to maintain a healthy weight. Although lifting weight is not necessarily recommended for children, adolescents can participate in structured weight programs beginning in middle school or high school. Along with weights, teens can use resistance exercises like pushups and situps to build muscle without equipment.
Bone Strengthening
Teens should also average at least three days a week of bone-strengthening activities. These activities include any impact exercise such as jump rope, running, jogging, tennis, dancing and track events such as the long jump or hurdles; they produce force on the bones, which encourages the body to increase bone strength to prevent bone damage. Increasing bone strength at a young age helps decrease risks for bone problems such as osteoporosis later in life.
Benefits
Exercise decreases the risk for obesity, which in turn reduces your risks for diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and even some forms of cancer. Including regular exercise during the teenage years also build healthy habits, which increase the chances that a teen will continue to exercise throughout the rest of his life -- increasing both longevity and quality of life.
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