Exercising is great for the body, mind, and soul. Exercise reduces depression, stress, and anxiety and helps with weight loss. Unfortunately, teenagers often have a tough time getting started when exercising on their own due to a lack of motivation or encouragement. Here are eight simple ways you can encourage an active lifestyle in teenagers.
1. Find Classes They Enjoy
It would be best if you found a sport or activity they enjoy. If they’re not enjoying what they’re doing, it will be much harder for them to stick with it. You can research local fitness classes that might offer a variety of sports activities for teenagers.
2. Be a Role Model
It would help if you led by example to stay active. Take up your activities, especially if you hope to get your teenager involved with exercise. If you’re not into sports, try a gym like HOTWORX once or twice a week. You could even take a class together or swim at the pool as a family. The point is to show them that being active is an enjoyable experience, so they will want to do it themselves.
3. Practice Regular Encouragement
Everyone needs some positive reinforcement now and then. As their parent, it’s your job to help them build confidence and let them know they’re doing well, even when it is a struggle. Using encouraging words can go a long way in making exercise a positive experience for them. You can also buy them a small reward each time they get closer to their weekly or monthly goals.
4. Set Limits
It’s important to set limits on your teenagers. Taking away their phone, television, or computer may initially seem like a harsh punishment. However, they need to limit their time spent on these gadgets to avoid spending too much time on them and not enough on being active. Limiting their exercise time during the week is also a good idea so they don’t overdo it.
5. Set Milestones
It’s important to set realistic goals for your teenager. If you’re trying to get them to walk around the block, it doesn’t make sense to set a goal of running a mile. Setting realistic goals will encourage your teenager to reach out for more and push themselves to be healthier.
6. Offer Ideas
After you’ve gotten your teenager to a point where they exercise regularly, offer some helpful tips on increasing their activity level. Suppose you don’t know any, research different tips online and try them out with your teenager.
7. Talk With Your Child’s Doctor
Talk with their doctor if you still have trouble getting your teenager to exercise. Having a professional give advice and offer support can go a long way in encouraging them to get out and be active.
8. Play With Them
The best way to encourage an active lifestyle is to play with them. Going to the park or doing a fun activity together, like playing tag, can be a great way of encouraging exercise together in a fun and engaging way.
Teenagers can be a tough audience with which to begin an active lifestyle. However, if you’re persistent and creative in your efforts, getting them up and moving is easy. Try out these simple tips and help them get their exercise on.
