Are most of todays modern teenagers in danger of turning into ‘couch potatoes’?   Yes!!  say many health authorities around the world. In the USA. it is said positively that the youth of today are in much worse physical condition than the teens of twenty years ago.

The alarm bells are sounding because obese overweight teenagers turn into obese, overweight adults, with all of the ensuing health problems adult obesity causes, like heart disease, diabetes and arthritis.

Every time a teen is sprawled in front of the TV or ‘on’ the computer, his/her metabolism slows right down. The typical teenager in fact spends about 30 hours each week in front of the TV whilst continually munching high fat junk foods.

It is the responsibility of the parents to make sure that the teen gets the exercise which is necessary for good health, but what do they do to achieve this?  By talking to the teen, and explaining the many benefits exercise will bring. They can suggest that the teen takes up aerobic exercise, or any one of the following sporting activities.

Sports Exercise for Teenagers.

n  A running or daily jogging routine, or a few kilometers cycling.

n  Swimming or skating, even skate boards can be good fun

n  Tennis or basketball, hockey, soccer.

n  Racquetball, volleyball.

The list can stretch further, and apart from the exercise factor, it will encourage the teen to establish healthy social relationships with other teens participating in the sporting activities also.

For sure the teen who has decided to ‘jump off the TV couch’! and indulge in some form of exercise will suffer some degree of muscle soreness initially, but this will soon disappear, especially if the teen is taught to do some warm up exercises before starting the main sports session.

Teenagers are great at presenting numerous excuses as to why they should not do things!! Here are a few counter reasons as to why the teen should take up some form of exercise.

A few Arguments as to Why the Teen Should Take up Exercise.

  1. Running requires little effort and no equipment, all the teen does is go and put one foot in front of the other. It is free after a pair of running shoes have been purchased.
  2. Aerobic exercise will benefit the teens heart, make it more efficient at pumping blood and keep it in good shape for when the teen becomes older.
  3. It will give the teen a time to be alone with his/her own thoughts, and a time for creative thinking, instead of pondering about the latest computer game or TV quiz program.
  4. The more sports or running exercise followed, the more the teens body will sustain energy, and after a few weeks of exercise the teen will feel energized like never before and will feel great.
  5. Aerobic exercise like running will prevent feelings of depression and anxiety, it relaxes the mind as well as toning up the body.

It is up to the teenager to carry out the sports or exercises, but it is up to the parents to explain the beneficial reasons and supply the initial motivation.

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