In the past three decades, the number of obese teens in America has more than doubled, and 12.5 million children face weight problems. This also puts overweight teens at a much greater risk of becoming overweight adults. That said, a healthy and active lifestyle can prevent your teen from becoming another statistic.
Find an Active Sport They Love
There’s no better way to get your teen active than to find something they love, whether it’s running, gymnastics, dance or a team sport. The more passionate they are about a hobby, the more likely they are to participate in it and make it a regular part of their schedule.
Photo by Jamie McCaffrey Build Their Confidence
A lot of teens are reluctant to start exercising or join a team because they have low self-confidence. Remind them how great they will feel being active and part of a team and community—not to mention improving their health and overall well-being.
Photo by Chris Hunkeler Be a Role Model
Get the family out of the house during the weekend for a hike or bike ride. Not only will your encouragement as a parent motivate your teen to be active, but it will also let them know that being active is important to you and a part of your lifestyle. Knowing that, they are more likely to adopt it into their daily routine.
Keep the Focus on Fun
Encourage your teen to join a team or start a new sport because they enjoy it, not because it will help them get into college or look good on paper. Make sure they sign up for something because they genuinely want to try it and not because of any social pressures.
Be With Friends
Being active doesn’t need to be sports or team-based. If your teen has friends over, suggest they go shoot hoops in the driveway or ride their bikes to the movies. There are endless ways to incorporate physical activity into daily routines.
Photo by Marion Doss
Feature Image: by skeeze
