The Importance Of Teen Fitness

Childhood obesity has, from being an aberration, become a cause of concern. Nowadays, there is increasing focus on the health of children and teenagers, and the lack of fitness in that particular age group is constantly under a spotlight. Naturally, what needs to be done is to devise ways in which teenagers can be encouraged to get fit.

Adults should understand that teens spend most of their time watching television, playing video games and eating junk food. They barely engage in any physical activity. Thus, they are an easy prey to lifestyle diseases like obesity. Therefore, it is important for parents to understand why they should encourage their teens to stay fit to lead a healthy life.

Exercise For Children - Why Important

Only when the body is fit and the muscles are strong, will it be able to withstand illnesses. This can happen only when physical fitness is an integral part of life. A strong body will lead to a healthy heart and more stamina. This will make your teens agile and prevent fatigue. It will also stimulate metabolism and strengthen their immune system.

Without any physical activity, metabolism will slow down, resulting weight gain. Obesity doesn't affect their health alone. It will adversely affect their academic performance, lifestyle and, most important of all, their self esteem. One should also keep in mind that obese teens are more at risk of developing diabetes, heart problems and arthritis.

Once you understand why your teens need to stay fit, you should work towards pushing them to have a fitness regime. Sports are an excellent idea. Let them join their school or college sports team or even a local club. Apart from keeping them healthy, sports will also help them to develop their self worth as well as team building and leadership skills. You can also enrol your teens in swimming classes and gyms. Once they began to enjoy all these activities they will willingly participate in them.

Give your kids the freedom to choose what type of fitness routine they want to pursue. You can give them the option to cycle or walk back and forth from their school or college. Cycling and walking are excellent cardiovascular workouts which can rapidly burn fat and build muscle strength. Cardiovascular exercises are a good way to burn calories. Teens can also join cycling and rowing clubs.

For a healthy body, exercise is not everything. You should also take care of the eating habits of your teen. Exercises and sports will have increased effect only if the teens adopt a balanced diet. Completely eliminate junk and processed foods from their diet. They do more harm than you can imagine. Include whole grains, green leafy vegetables and plenty of fruits into their diet. This is a sure way of keeping your teenagers healthy.

Going Beyond Fitness Routines

To keep teens fit, you should also teach them to be responsible on their own. They should understand the benefits of a healthy body and should be willing to change their lifestyle. Show them the benefits of a healthy life.

Fitness for teenagers depends on the responsibility of the parents, the school and the teens themselves. Unless all of them realize that obesity is a serious lifestyle issue, and fitness is the only solution, then it would be hard for teens to maintain a healthy lifestyle.