Teenage boys have a lot of energy and are very active—running around outside or hanging with their friends—but they can also have the desire to sit on the couch and play video games all day. Here are some tips for staying healthy, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally as well.
Healthy Eating and Exercise
Choose exercise and healthy food as often as possible. Get out of the house every day and find a way to exercise, such as going on a run or taking a martial arts class. Burning all that energy is going to make you hungry, so make sure you’re refuelling with healthy foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains and protein.
Trust Your Gut
Boys like to take risks, which can be a good thing. But sometimes you need to take a step back and listen to your gut when it doesn’t feel right. When your friends are prodding you to do something adventurous that’s not for you, such as jumping off a cliff into the lake, don’t do it. It doesn’t matter what your friends think, even though it seems that way. What matters is that you stand your ground and make your own decisions. Cultivating this independence early on will help you throughout your life.
Choose Your Friends Wisely
Some guys have an easy time making friends—so long as they’re into the same activity, they can find a way to get along. But if you’ve been hanging out with a new friend for a while and just don’t think you click, it’s alright to move on and find someone else to hang out with. Just because someone is also into skateboarding, doesn’t mean you have to go to the skate park together every day after school. There are other guys out there who will want to do tricks and flips and ride around with you, and you’ll have a better connection with those guys.
Live Your Potential
In school, girls are usually the ones passing the boys in terms of grades, and lots of boys just shove it off and decide to go hang out with their friends instead of studying. Over time, our society has given boys an “out” by saying that girls are better at academics, but boys have just as much potential to succeed. Discipline yourself and see how far you can go. This doesn’t mean that you have to spend all your time on schoolwork, but understand your potential and abilities and succeed at them. It will take time, but the feeling of accomplishment will be great.
