Regular exercise is important for teenagers as it can help them maintain their mental and physical health. Along with helping tone their body, it will also improve their skin, strengthen their muscles, and build their self-image.
This is why teens should aim to get at least 60 minutes of moderate to high-intensity activity per day and reduce the time they spend being sedentary. According to Teens Health, the more they move around from an early age, the better it is for them.
We have prepared this post to help you understand the importance of fitness for teenagers and how it can help them in different aspects of life.
Here are some benefits of fitness for teenagers to help you see why they should try to be more physically active.
1. Helps Maintain a Healthy Weight
Any form of physical activity can help teenagers avoid gaining weight. And when done for a long time, exercise can develop toned and lean muscles.
Maintaining a healthy weight reduces their chances of contracting various diseases such as high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. However, the amount of time they need to spend working out varies based on their body type and metabolic rate, among other factors.
The best part is that everything doesn’t have to be done all at once. For instance, if you need to walk five miles, you can do it in short bursts spread out throughout the day instead of walking the entire distance at once.
2. Improves Cardiovascular Health
The heart is a muscle that needs to be worked to be made stronger. With regular exercise, its performance improves and it becomes better at pumping blood. Moreover, this can aid in preventing heart disease which is beneficial to their long-term health.
Regular exercise also reduces the amount of bad cholesterol and fats present in a person’s blood. This can help increase the flexibility of their blood vessels and goes a long way towards reducing their blood pressure.
3. Increases Stress-Relieving Chemicals
While exercising 40 to 60 minutes can be difficult, it’s definitely worth the effort as physical activity causes the body to release endorphins which are feel-good hormones. So, after working out, you will experience a better mood and have a feeling of general happiness. This can go some way towards helping teens who may be struggling with depression or anxiety.
4. Boosts Confidence
If you have a teenager who struggles with self-esteem or confidence, exercise can help. Physical activity can help improve self-confidence at a very basic level by improving how someone sees themselves. Regardless of their size, weight, age or gender, it will help elevate their self-image. Once they see their body changing, they will likely look and feel better. As they become more confident with their fitness levels, workouts and physical appearance, their self-confidence will also improve.
5. Sharpens the Memory
By engaging in physical activity, teenagers experience a boost in their memory and notice an increased ability to learn new things. This will be beneficial to their schoolwork. This is possible as physical activity increases the production of cells in the hippocampus which is the part of the brain responsible for learning and memory.
6. Improves Lung Capacity
Exercise can increase lung capacity, making them more efficient at moving air in and out of the body. When teenagers work out, they breathe harder and inhale more oxygen while releasing more carbon dioxide. This can aid in reducing the decline in oxygen intake that naturally occurs as we age. So, with continued exercise, a teenager will grow up and have a better quality of life than they would otherwise.
7. Provides Better Quality Sleep
Exercising regularly will tire teenagers out in a good way, and this will help them get to sleep quicker and sleep better. When they take part in any physical activity, they experience deeper sleep because their body is trying to repair itself. This way, they will also be less likely to wake up in the middle of the night and more likely to wake up feeling refreshed and in a happier mood.
The benefits of exercising regularly are incredible. And when teenagers are fit, they experience a better quality of life – as do their parents! Encourage your teens to fit regular exercise into their schedules. And while they might not think exercise is for them, especially after a long day at school, remind them of its benefits. And you don’t have to spend a lot of money for them to lead a healthy life. You can hire a personal trainer who will provide a personalized plan to meet their fitness goals. The long-term benefits will be priceless.