Exercise
Plans For Teens
Exercise plan for teens? You have
got to be kidding! I have a hard enough time getting my teen out
of bed to plop on the couch. Is there really an exercise plan for
teens that is effective and I can get my teen to do it? The key to
creating an exercise plan for teens is to think about what teens
need and enjoy. If you can get them to plug into something that
makes them feel better and they enjoy doing it, you will find an
exercise plan for teens that works.
Weight loss and body image are huge issues for teens, especially
teen girls. They get frustrated because they feel like they are
putting so much effort into a work out, but they don’t see any
results. It’s too hard and too tiring, both emotionally and
physically, for a teenage girl to put effort into her body image
and not see results, so she quits. How do you avoid your teenager
giving up and becoming obese or going so far that she puts herself
in an unhealthy situation losing too much weight and muscle?
Not all kids are natural athletes, and that’s ok. But if you
have a child that is a natural athlete, nurture and promote the
lifestyle that keeps athletes healthy. My daughter plays
basketball. Because it is a game that requires high endurance and
agility, we work on those things outside practice. It’s not so
much that she likes to run, but she loves being in the game at the
end when the other girls are tired, so she pushes herself to run.
The sport of basketball has made her implement an exercise plan
that keeps her headed for her goals.
You may find your child enjoys another sport. The downside of
sports is that they usually only run for a season, and then they
are off for the rest of the year. During those times, it may be
hard to keep your teen involved in exercise. Try getting out there
and playing your kids’ favorite sports in the front yard. Toss
the football or baseball. Challenge their skills by making them
run for some of the balls. If you have a football player, you may
challenge him to keep up his sprint times through the off seasons
with competitions at home. Nothing gets my kids fired up more than
trying to put me to shame athletically!
If your child is not athletically inclined, coming up with a
healthy lifestyle, including an effective exercise program is so
important. In today’s society, it sounds like child abuse to
make your child walk, but it is one of the best things you can do
to promote a healthy lifestyle that will carry into their adult
lives. Take a walk with your child several times a week. Get your
hearts pumping and walk for at least 30 minutes, three or four
times a week. I know it’s a commitment, but you will feel
better, you will have 30 minutes of uninterrupted time with your
teenager, and you will see her body image and self image improve.
If it fits into your budget and lifestyle, join a gym together.
The benefits of a gym membership are great. First there are a lot
of options for variety in a workout. Second, most of them help you
keep records, which are great for accountability and motivation.
Third, you pay for it, so you better use it.
There are some key things to remember in helping your teen develop
an exercise plan. First, remember, the teen body is not yet done
growing and developing. Don’t push a lot of weight training.
Weight training is important, but overdoing the weight on a body
that is not through developing can damage muscles and stunt
healthy growth. Use weights in low amounts, increasing resistance
slowly as development and strength increase.
The most important key to an exercise plan for teens is the
cardiovascular key. Keep the heart pumping. The great thing about
the heart is that it doesn’t only get going with one activity.
You can play tennis, run, walk, swim, mow the lawn, dance, or
hundreds of other exercises that get the heart rate up for a short
period of time.
You will find that your teen will resist an exercise plan if you
try to implement it for the first time when she is a teen. Make an
exercise plan for teens when your children are still small. A
healthy lifestyle and the increase in her energy, decrease in her
lethargy, and happiness when she looks in the mirror will be the
things that keep her returning to a healthy lifestyle. You must be
the one to be the catalyst to getting her started.
My teenage daughter is much more likely to exercise and stick to
an exercise plan designed for her if I stick to one designed for
me. If I get lazy, so does she, and then we’re both hard to get
along with!
Exercise plans for teens sound scary. They can be. But make the
determination to find something your teen likes to do and make it
a fun thing you do together! Avoid too much body building
exercise, and focus on toning and cardiovascular work in any
exercise plans for teens. If you implement your plan right
alongside your teen, you will find you can both benefit from a
good exercise plan for teens!
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presented only for informational purposes and does not replace medical advice from a practicing
physician.
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