It is important to encourage and promote a healthy lifestyle in children and teenagers. As they get older, a healthy lifestyle will greatly benefit them. The importance of getting into a healthy lifestyle early in life cannot be over emphasised. We discuss why exercise is important to teenagers and what are some of the best ways to promote a healthy lifestyle.
Benefits of exercising
Exercise in general is very beneficial to your overall wellbeing. Exercising for teenagers is even more beneficial as it strengthens muscles, keeps bones strong, improves sleep and mood and helps skin tone, amongst other things.
Here is a list of the benefits of exercising for teenagers:
- Prevents bone loss
- Releases tension
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Improved blood circulation and blood cholesterol levels
- Reduces stress, anxiety and depression
- Improves self-esteem
- Increase energy levels
- Increases muscle strength
- Improves sleep
- Be more enthusiastic and optimistic
- Strong immune system
How to establish an exercise plan
According to the Stanford Children’s Health, teenagers need at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity. This will assist them to maintain good health and fitness as well as a healthy weight, whilst growing up.
The website www.stanfordchildrens.org encourages parents to limit a teenager’s screen time to less than 2 hours per day. It is advisable to replace sitting activities with physical activity.
There are 3 types of exercises that can be beneficial to teenagers:
Stretching exercises (range-of-motion exercises) involve basic stretches like dancing, yoga, etc.
Endurance exercises (conditioning exercises) include biking, climbing stairs, aerobics, swimming and walking. Endurance exercises can strengthen muscles and aid coordination and endurance.
Strengthening exercises are resistance exercises that build muscles. It includes the use of free weights, resistance machines and bands, and handheld weights.
Establishing a daily exercise program for teenagers will also emphasise the importance of self-care. It is also a fun way to spend quality time with family and friends.
Drink plenty of water
Besides getting into the habit of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, it is also important to get your teenager into the habit of drinking plenty of water. It is a fact that the human body requires 2 litres of water every day. The more you exercise, the more heat your body generates. Therefore, it is advisable to drink plenty of water throughout the day to help your body compensate for loses from sweat. In order to encourage the consumption of water, infuse the water with mint, lemon or fruits and berries.
At Kiaat Hospital your health is our priority as we are focused on the delivery of high-quality treatment and care. Our team consists of first-class health professionals that operate in a modern and sophisticated hospital.
