Get Teens Moving: Exercise for Health

"Couch potato" is not just a term for adults whose main form of exercise is moving their fingers along the television remote. The title also applies to many of our teens, and the long-term negative health impact is tremendous. Teens who exercise rarely and sit around a lot are at greater risk for diabetes, heart problems, arthritis, low muscle strength, and feelings of tiredness. Exercise offers great benefits by making you feel good about yourself, making you stronger and more energetic, and even improving your mood. Inactive teens miss out on this.

How do you get them up and moving? This is not as easy as you might think when you realize that our children spend six hours a day at school - most of that is in their seat. They may then spend one to two hours a night on homework - that is spent on a chair.

The two biggest things we can do to start to get our kids moving are limit television and other "electronic time", and get moving ourselves.

Television/computer time
Many teens spend 20-30 hours a week in front of the television and computer. While in front of the television, many can be seen munching on high-fat, empty calorie snacks. Because their attention is on the show, they pay little attention to the amount they eat or whether they are full or not.

Why do we allow our kids to spend this much time doing something harmful to them in high quantities? The main reason is that they are quiet and out of our hair while they do so, and we fear the conflict that comes when we limit it. We may also have the same "electronic" hobbies they do, and may not want them to call our attention to that.

So what do we do? Bite the bullet and turn off the set. Placing reasonable limits on television and computer results in teens who have more time, energy and inclination to talk directly to other people, pursue hobbies, and get up and moving. "Reasonable limits" may be one hour a night on school nights, and two hours a day on the weekends in one family. Others may set them a little lower or higher.

Before we leave this section, a word about placing a television in your teen's bedroom. If you can't be sure they follow the television limits with the set in there, or if they are keeping it on until they fall asleep at night, get the television set out of there. The same rules apply to computers.

If your child loves the computer and the television, a limit might still be one to one and a half hours a night with the teen picking how much goes to the computer and how much to the television.

Practice what you preach
Teens are more likely to get up and move their bodies if you move yours. I know, you're tired from work, and you've had a rough day, and you would gladly do it if your favorite show wasn't just coming on the tube. But the hard truth is that we teach by actions. If a teen sees exercise as fun and rewarding they will do it more. Families that rake leaves together, wash down the walls, carry grocery bags in together, or divide the chores up can help keep people active that way. So do families that take a walk after dinner together, shoot hoops in the driveway, or take a "homework break" for 10 minutes to dance with your teen in the living room.

If your teen is interested in an organized sport, help them participate in it. By middle school, teens that are not very good at a sport won't make the school team. But there are city leagues, YMCA "fun teams", and other sport organizations that will accept them. Karate, skating, dance, swimming and rollerblading are also activities teens may enjoy.

Getting started
The American Academy of Family Physicians notes that most people can start exercise on their own without consulting a family doctor. But if you are concerned about special health conditions or symptoms talk with your doctor. Examples of this might be if your teen is obese; has diabetes, heart problems or high blood pressure: or frequently complains of breathing difficulties, dizziness, or rapid heart rate when exercising.

The Academy recommends starting with 20 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise a day three days a week. Add on to this time a 5-10 minute warm-up and a 5-10 minute cool down. Once this much exercise becomes routine increase the exercise to 30 minutes four to six times a week. Be sure to keep the warm-up and cool down periods.

Exercise should not hurt. If you haven't moved around for a while, you may be a little stiff the next day, but you should not be tied up in knots. A coach or exercise instructor that insists kids work until they are gasping for air, exhausted and in pain, or so stiff they can hardly walk the next day is not good for your child.

Find active opportunities
Encourage your school and church to offer more physical activities for children and teens. Call the YMCA or city recreation department and find out what they offer. Remember that the YMCA and similar organizations may offer scholarships if economic need is preventing membership.

Make the most of natural opportunities for movement. Walking to the store, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, making a bed, and mowing the lawn are natural ways to move.

Teens are more likely to move if the exercise feels fun and rewarding. Being able to do it with a friend also increases the likelihood of sticking with something.

Target heart rate
Finding your target heart rate is not usually something people worry about when they are getting their exercise through taking slow paced walks, doing chores, or riding a bike around the neighborhood. But if your teen is starting into weight or aerobic training, vigorous exercise classes and workouts, knowing how to measure whether you are within the range for your target heart rate is a good skill. Here is how you help your teen do it. Subtract the teen's age from 220, and multiply that number by .60 or .85. If your teen is just starting to exercise, use the .60 figure. If the teen is in good shape and has been exercising for a while, use the .85 figure. As an example, for a 15-year-old take the 220 - 15 = 205. Multiply 205 by .60 and you will get a target heart rate of 123.

The teen can measure the target heart rate by placing two fingers on the side of their neck on the pulse and counting the number of beats for one minute. The minute should be measured using the second hand of a watch.

Dance to the music
Find a place to begin to make your lifestyle and that of your teen healthier. Start small. You may want to start with limiting television and computer time and sticking with it. You don't have to be a nag about it. Just say, "the television and computer are on too much. I've been doing some reading and I know that is not good for us. So here is the way it is going to change." Set the limit and help the kids figure out how to implement it. Once your teen knows that you are serious, the teen will start to look for other things to do on their own.

Stay informed about the activity choices in your community. Ask your teen what physical activities they are interested in and try to support those interests. And get yourself and the rest of the family on the move as well. Have fun with it!