5 Workout Tips for Teens
Use these 5 workout tips for teens to turn a Workout Routine into a Workout RouTEEN!
The information you are about to read is not just for teenagers but can be applied to a person in any walk of life. As human beings, we are creatures of habit and are used to routine; the more control we can have over our lives and situations, the better. The overarching theme of this post is that by instilling yourself with a working baseline of proper diet and exercise knowledge, you will be better equipped to lead a healthier, more balanced life. Incorporate these workout tips for teens into your everyday life and you will be glad you did so.
Adolescents and teenagers have the best opportunity to positively alter the course of their life if they learn how to take care of themselves at their current age. I am in no way a professional in exercise and diet (no doctorates, no nutrition degrees, no Mr. Olympias), but through my experiences and my ups and downs, I have learned a few things that others deserve to hear.
The 5 “workout tips for teens” listed below are not your ordinary workout tips. Rather, the below workout tips for teens will come across more so as theories or ideas. You can go just about anywhere for a “killer back and bicep workout” or a ten-minute core workout. This information is truly all over the place and is never out of reach. If all of this information is out there, however, then why aren’t we all making it a healthy habit? What you are about to read, consider as a new way of thought when it comes to working out and taking care of yourself.
The Once a Day Rule
In 2008, the NFL established its “Play 60” initiative. This initiative was part of a health and wellness campaign that challenged youngsters to engage in 60 minutes of activity per day. An important thing to keep in mind when considering exercise is that you don’t have to make it a chore! To me, this is the first and most important tip when it comes to workout tips for teens because it is applicable anywhere.
Many different things can be considered a workout- laps in a pool, a run, a round of golf, or a game of pickup basketball. You do not need to plan out and schedule a rigorous 6 day-a-week workout plan, rather, just make sure you are moving for an extended duration, using different muscles ever day. Who said staying active had to be challenging or boring?
Challenge Yourself
Speaking of challenging, holding yourself accountable for your fitness plans and diet can be so! However, by challenging yourself and setting manageable goals, you will be able to set up a plan that makes sense for you. By making obtainable goals for yourself and achieving them, you would be surprised with how proud you feel when you do! Start small on your goals to gain momentum. Try to aim for one positive change a day and slowly build up from there.
Simple, silly sounding examples to begin the process of challenging yourself may include: making your bed in the morning, drinking your coffee without your normal 2 teaspoons of sugar, flossing, or drinking more water. See? These momentum carrying goals can be everywhere you look; soon you will be able to set your goals to match workout habits, diet habits, and general well-being improvements that you desire.
Food is Fuel
This may seem a bit out there, but think of yourself as a car. Rather, think of yourself as a high performance luxury vehicle. This vehicle runs on premium gasoline. You have one mile on you when your owner drives you off the lot… She takes you to the nearest gas station… And she asks the attendant to fill your tank up with regular fuel. Your heart (engine) drops… Why doesn’t your owner want you to perform the best way possible and take care of you and your engine?
This is an analogy that I like to consider when I view food. At the end of the day, food is our fuel. We have the choice to fill up our tanks with grades of food ranging from “kerosine to jet fuel”. Wouldn’t we want to put our body and mind in the best situation possible by supplying it with a nutrient-packed diet? A well balanced diet will take you a tremendously long way.
By focusing on eating bright, vibrant fruits and vegetables, proteins, and limiting sugars, you will set yourself up for long-term success. This type of diet is not as boring as it sounds as there are plenty of delicious yet healthy options that will combat any sweet tooth or savory chaser. You may not have a love for certain fruits or vegetables- but find the ones you do like and will eat!
W.W.O.A.D.?
What would our ancestors do? Let’s face it, humans were never meant to sit in chairs. We are constructed to be primal hunters- walking around, scavenging for nuts and berries and that day’s meal. We aren’t built to be as sedentary as we are today. While many of us do have passions such as videogames, reality TV, or even the 9-5 type of job where we find ourselves behind a desk (or on the couch if you still work from home) there are ways you can combat a seemingly sedentary lifestyle.
The most important tip I can give here is to break up your day! It will take some getting used to and some active effort at times, but to try make sure you are getting up hourly. Walk to go get a coffee, stand up and touch your toes, hit the gym or field for a mid-day workout, anything you can think of to get your body moving again. Trust me, you will feel leaps and bounds better and long term your body will be thanking you for not falling into a habit of constant bad posture or lack of movement.
Use the Buddy System
We can’t do this journey to an active and healthy lifestyle alone. Enlist a buddy to help you on this massive lifestyle change. By using the buddy system, this will be a sensational exchange of knowledge, understanding, challenges, and support. By having someone with you that understands what you are going through and will also attempt to buy into a routine like the aforementioned, this will only motivate you and bring the best out of you in order to succeed.
So now lets take a buddy or make a buddy and kick this thing off! Try to use some of these workout tips and theories and make a routine that works for you. Hold yourself accountable but also realize you will be prone to slip ups, regressions, and mistakes- that’s okay!
Be the Best You!
In conclusion, after taking a deep dive into these 5 workout tips for teens, lets keep five things in mind when we are trying to make a change for the better:
- Try to do at least one active thing a day
- Set goals for yourself and shatter them!
- View food as fuel- fruits and veggies are our friends!
- Be mindful and get moving
- Enlist a buddy and conquer this together!
