Why is physical fitness so important for teens?
You have a busy life; school, friends, chores, homework, Facebook, boyfriends/girlfriends, and maybe even a job. So, where does fitness fit into all of this? If you really want to get into great shape, you're going to have to make some time for it. Fortunately, working out even a few hours per week though, can be enough to get the body you want.
Fitness tips for teens.
Participate in sports. Sports provide a great opportunity to build cardiovascular endurance and keep your muscles working. Baseball, football, skateboarding and track are just some of the great ways to stay in shape.
Do your cardio. Exercising your heart and lungs with cardiovascular exercises is very important to your overall health and fitness and is a great way to burn excess calories. Try running or any other form of cardio for 30 minutes, 2-3 days per week.
Eat healthy. Choose fresh foods over frozen or fast foods. You really are what you eat, so make sure sure you're eating quality foods. Try to get a lean protein source in each meal, as protein helps build muscle.
Eat smaller meals. Spreading out your total daily calories over 5-6 small meals or snacks will keep your metabolism running in high gear. Eating 1-2 large meals per day leads to body fat storage.
Lift weights. Weight training 2-3 days per week does two things--it burns calories and it builds muscle. If you want to be lean and fit, you have to do both. Weight training is by far the fastest and most efficient means of getting into great shape!
Get plenty of rest. All this exercise means you need to give your body plenty of time to repair and rebuild itself, and this happens while you're sleeping. Shoot for a minimum of 8 solid hours of sleep per night even if that means going to bed a little early.
Use these fitness tips for teens and make time for fitness. You're going to like what you see!
Christopher Gomes is an active NASM certified personal trainer and author. He owns and operates Fittplan.com, a website dedicated to helping people achieve their personal fitness goals.
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