Physical Activity for Teens

Experts recommend that teens and children (starting at age 6) do moderate to vigorous activity at least 1 hour every day. And 3 or more days a week, what they choose to do should:

• Make them breathe harder and make the heart beat much faster.
• Make their muscles stronger. For example, they could play tug-of-war, lift weights, or use resistance bands.
• Make their bones stronger. For example, they could run, jump rope, or play basketball or tennis.

It’s okay for them to be active in smaller blocks of time that add up to 1 hour or more each day.

Sometimes you'll need to urge your teen to exercise. You can help motivate your teen by setting an example. If regular exercise is a normal part of family life, teens may see it as natural to start or keep exercising. Household chores count as physical activity too. Talk with your teen about the physical benefits of exercise, such as improved mood or energy level.

Although competitive sports are a great way for teens to be physically active while they learn valuable social skills, be aware that sports are not for everyone. Focus on things that your teen enjoys doing, whether it's competitive or noncompetitive sports or personal fitness activities (such as jogging, yoga, or cycling). Some teens may prefer individual sports (such as karate, gymnastics, and swimming) over group sports (such as soccer or baseball).

Help your teen avoid competition that stresses winning over everything else, including sportsmanship and schoolwork.

Teens who compete in sports are at risk of injury. Many activities require repeated movements or require that bones repeatedly bear weight. Overuse injuries occur from stressing the joints, muscles, or other tissues and not letting them recover. The growing bones of young athletes may not be able to handle as much stress as the mature bones of adults. Repeated stress on the body may lead to irritation, inflammation, stress fractures, or other conditions. For example, a swimmer may get a rotator cuff injury because he or she doesn't realize that fatigue or poor performance is a sign of overuse.

Teens who take part in endurance events, year-round sports, or weekend tournaments, and teens who diet to stay at a certain weight for a sport (such as gymnastics or wrestling) are also at risk for varied injuries. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends limiting one sport to a maximum of 5 days a week, with at least 1 day off each week from any organized physical activity. Also, the AAP suggests that athletes have at least 2 to 3 months off each year from their particular sport.

Anyone who does too much activity without proper conditioning is at risk for injury.

source: http://health.yahoo.com/fitness-overview/physical-activity-for-teens/healthwise--zj1425.html

Fitness: Some Basic Facts

What is fitness?

Fitness means being able to perform physical activity. It also means having the energy and strength to feel as good as possible. Getting more fit, even a little bit, can improve your health.

You don't have to be an athlete to be fit. Athletes reach a very high level of fitness. And people who take brisk half-hour walks every day reach a good level of fitness. Even people who can't do that much can work toward some level of fitness that helps them feel better and have more energy.

This topic focuses on health-related fitness, which helps you feel your best and lowers your risk for certain diseases. Making small changes in your daily lifestyle helps you improve your fitness.

What are the benefits of fitness?

Fitness helps you feel better and have more energy for work and leisure time. You'll feel more able to do things like playing with your kids, gardening, dancing, or biking. Children and teens who are fit may have more energy and better focus at school.

When you stay active and fit, you burn more calories, even when you're at rest. Being fit lets you do more physical activity. And it lets you exercise harder without as much work. It can also help manage weight.

Fitness is good for your heart, lungs, bones, and joints. And it lowers your risk for heart attack, diabetes, high blood pressure, and some cancers. It also can help you to sleep better, handle stress better, and keep your mind sharp.

How much physical activity do you need for health-related fitness?

To improve your health, it’s important to make physical activity part of your daily life.

One way is to get moderate activity, like brisk walking, for at least 2½ hours a week.

Or you can do vigorous exercise, like running, for at least 1¼ hours a week. This activity makes you breathe harder and have a much faster heartbeat than at rest.

Experts recommend that teens and children (starting at age 6) do moderate to vigorous activity at least 1 hour every day.

Here’s how you can tell if an activity or exercise is making you work hard enough. If you can't talk while you do it, you're working too hard. You're at the right level if you can talk but not sing during the activity.

What types of physical activity improve fitness?

The activities you choose depend on which kind of fitness you want to improve. There are three different kinds of fitness:

• Flexibility is the ability to move your joints and muscles through their full range of motion. Stretching is an exercise that helps you to be more flexible.
• Aerobic fitness means increasing how well your body uses oxygen. This depends on the condition of your heart, lungs, and muscles. Any activity that raises your heart rate, such as walking or running, can improve aerobic fitness.
• Muscle fitness means building stronger muscles and increasing how long you can use them (called endurance). Activities like weight lifting or push-ups can improve your muscular fitness.

You may be in better shape in one kind of fitness than another. For example, you might be flexible but have poor muscle strength. It’s best to work on all three kinds of fitness.