The growing incidence of teenage obesity makes increased physical activity essential. Encouraging your teenager to meet a certain weekly exercise goal can help to keep her heart, lungs and muscles fit, and burn calories that will help her maintain a healthy weight. In addition to a weekly exercise goal, it is important to help your teenager find the appropriate exercise for her health level. You should always consult your teen's physician before allowing her to begin an exercise program.
Basic Recommendations
Teens should engage in at least 20 minutes of heartbeat-raising activity three times per week, according to FamilyEducation. This aerobic exercise can come from a number of activities, including running, cycling, swimming, aerobic dancing, kickboxing or playing a team sport. However, the Children's Hospital Boston recommends more exercise -- at least 60 minutes of exercise most days of the week.
Getting Involved
To ensure your teen gets the exercise he needs, HelpGuide.org advises that you view exercise as a food group, making it just as necessary as food for your child on a daily basis. Because you control much of your teen's after-school schedule, make it your priority to allow for physical activity on a daily basis and get involved in the activity to encourage him. This might include taking a family walk after dinner, turning on music and dancing in the house, or taking a short hike as a family.
Beginning Teen Exercise
If your teenager is overweight or obese, exercise may be challenging and even embarrassing for her. To minimize this, help your child start exercising slowly. Examples include incorporating into her daily routine walking or some other low-impact activity in short increments -- about five to 10 minutes at a time. Also, ask your child if there are certain activities she is interested in, such as karate, golf or a team sport that you can encourage her to begin. As she improves in physical fitness, she can increase the duration of her workouts.
Warning
While encouraging your teenager to exercise on a regular basis is necessary, it is possible for him to exercise too much. Teens tend to be very concerned with their body image and self-esteem, which may cause them to go to extremes and over-exercise in an attempt to lose weight quickly. Signs that your teen may be compulsively exercising include choosing exercise over friends or school responsibilities, becoming preoccupied with his appearance and exercising for several hours a day. If you suspect your teen has become a compulsive exerciser, speak to a medical professional for guidance on how to deal with this situation.
References
- FamilyEducation; Exercise and Teens; Barbara Cooke
- Center for Young Women's Health; Sports Nutrition & Fitness FAQ's; February 2010
- KidsHealth.org; Strength Training; May 2009
- HelpGuide.org; Nutrition for Children and Teens; Maya Paul and Lawrence Robinson; February 2011
- Kids Health; Compulsive Exercise; October 2010
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