Negative Effects of Too Little Exercise in Teens

In countries like the U.S., Canada, and Australia, a disturbing teen health trend has been developing in recent years. More and more, kids in their teenage years are spending all of their time indoors, neglecting to get outside and exercise. This can have serious health consequences not only during adolescence, but throughout life. This calls attention to the need for high-quality physical education programs in schools and colleges, and it also puts the ball in parents’ court when it comes to encouraging exercise. Parents need to play an active role in fostering a healthy lifestyle for the whole family.
According to one recent study, children aged 6-7 tend to get an average of 45 minutes of physical activity per day. By age 12, that number declines to 30 minutes, and by 16 many kids don’t exercise on a regular basis at all. This applies particularly to kids who don’t have access to high quality P.E. and who don’t have yards or parks where they can be active. That’s why lack of exercise among teenagers is far more common in certain types of urban areas and where people are more likely to be poor.
Health Risks
As we’ve all heard by now, childhood obesity, which is a direct result of lack of exercise, is a serious problem throughout the world, and it affects teenagers as much as kids of any other age. Along with obesity comes a heightened risk of various illnesses, including:
* cardiovascular problems
* type 2 diabetes
* hypertension
* insulin resistance
* liver inflammation
* obstructive sleep apnea
In addition to these phyical problems, kids who are overweight often face weight-based discrimination and stigmatization from their peers, which can lead to delayed social development, depression, low-self esteem, and other mental illnesses, all of which can last well into adulthood if the problem is not treated early.
What Parents Can Do
The most important thing for parents to do to encourage exercise in teens is to limit the amount of time the teenager is allowed to use the computer or watch television every day. In fact, another recent study shows that kids who spend over 2 hours per day either watching TV or surfing the internet are far more likely to be overweight or obese than kids who engage in those activities for less than 2 hours. So, limiting these things can have real, direct results.
Other than that, there are several things parents can do.
* Set a good example: Kids, even teenagers, learn by watching. If you make a point of showing your teenager what an active, healthy lifestyle looks like, he or she is more likely to have a healthy lifestyle—if not now, then later.
* Be open with your teen about health: If you feel that your teen is unhealthy, don’t hide this from them simply because it hurts their feelings. Parents who foster an atmosphere where unhealthy habits go unchecked end up doing more harm than good.
* Support your teen’s exercise interest: Anything that gets your teen active is good, so don’t prohibit him or her from any healthy activities.
* Have family outings: Sure, teenagers are usually not the most family-oriented bunch of people, but from time to time you can get them to go along with you on an outing. And if they refuse, you can always make them go.