Between 14 and 15 percent of 15-year-olds in the United States are overweight, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. This startling statistic points to a lack of proper diet and exercise among teenagers. Parents can help teens lose weight and form positive, lifelong habits by working with their teen and their child's doctor to form and implement a healthy exercise regimen.
Love the Activity
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), teens should get at least one hour of physical activity each and every day. Seven hours of physical activity can drag on forever if you're doing something you don't love. Take the time to find an activity or exercise your teen loves to do -- swimming, jogging through the neighborhood, dancing or horseback riding are all viable options to keep teens engaged and moving.
Motivation and Consistency
Motivation and consistency are key to any teenage exercise plan. Your teen won't see the benefits if she only works out once in a blue moon. Provide your children with the emotional support necessary to keep active. If possible, get the whole family involved. Don't push your teen too hard, however. If your teen has been inactive for a while, she will need to build up stamina and endurance. Keep exercises at your teen's pace and level as she becomes accustomed to activity. Keep an open dialogue with your teen about the state of her body -- if an exercise hurts or is severely uncomfortable, speak to a doctor before continuing with the exercise.
The Importance of Variety
Vary exercises and change the focus of your teen's workouts to keep things interesting. According to the CDC, teens should engage in aerobic exercise at least three days a week. Take a walk one day and go bike riding the next. Plan an all-family soccer game for the third day to fulfill this requirement and keep things fun. Teens should get at least three days of mild to moderate strength training as well. Look for activities that help build muscle in a fun way. Yoga, for example, can ease school jitters while providing the necessary strength training for your teen. A gymnastics class can help your teen meet new friends while working on muscle tone.
Practice Moderation
Sometimes a healthy exercise routine for teens can be too much of a good thing. Compulsive exercise is a serious problem for some teens. The Nemours Foundation cautions that exceeding the recommended 60 minutes a day of exercise time on a consistent basis may be one of the signs of a problem. Compulsive exercisers place workouts above leisure time and may try to fit in multiple workouts each day at the cost of losing time for other activities. Compulsive exercise is closely related to eating disorders and may be a symptom of a larger problem. Keep your teen's workouts low-stress and don't scold or punish your child for missing a day here and there. Speak to a doctor or licensed mental health care professional if you suspect your teen is compulsively exercising.
References
- US Department of Health and Human Services: U.S. Teens More Overweight Than Youth in 14 Other Countries
- MayoClinic.com; Teen Weight Loss; November 2009
- National Diabetes Education Program: Tips for Teens with Diabetes: Be Active
- Weight Control Information Network: Take Charge of Your Health - a Guide for Teenagers
- KidsHealth.org: How Can I Lose Weight Safely?
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Physical Activity for Everyone: Guidelines: Children
- KidsHealth.org: Motivating Kids to Be Active
- KidsHealth.org: Compulsive Exercise
- Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine; Exercise; Megan A. Moreno; September 2010
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons: Fitness for Kids
