5 Ways To Keep Your Teenagers Active
Many of us find it difficult to fit exercise into our everyday lives, but for teenagers, this task can be even more tricky. After all, they have school to go to, as well as household chores and homework to complete, and maybe even a part-time job. With all of this to do and more, it’s understandable why most teens would rather skip an hour at the gym and play video games instead. However, exercise is vital for physical and mental health, so it’s important you do what you can to get your kids moving. To help you with this task, here are five useful tips.
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Start With A Chat
Although you’ve noticed your child’s lack of activity, chances are, they haven’t, which is why you need to point it out to them, but you should make sure that you do this in a calm and non-judgmental way. Remind them of the benefits that staying active can bring and the potential consequences of their inactivity. If you’re struggling to get through to them yourself, then you may want to consider asking your family doctor to talk to them instead.
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Find Activities They Enjoy
Different physical activities will appeal to different kids, so make sure that you explore a range of different ideas and help your teen find something they genuinely enjoy to do, whether that’s jogging or karate. You should also do what you can to encourage these activities, like helping them to learn how to tie a karate belt or offering to pay for their running shoes. Don’t force them into an activity they aren’t interested in, as this will only make matter worse and cause problems.
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Set A Good Example
From a very young age, children tend to mimic the actions of their parents, and while this does lessen as your kids grow, it never goes away completely. For this reason, it’s vital that you set a good example for your teenager and make sure that you stay active yourself. You should also try your best to incorporate physical activity into everyday family life. There are a number of ways to do this, like walking instead of driving and planning active days out.
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Discourage Any Sedentary Activities
When your teen spends a lot of time sitting or lying in front of the television, it can be difficult for them to get enough physical activity. Because of this, it’s vital that you monitor your child’s screen time and set time limits if you feel that they’re necessary. To make this easier, you may also want to ask that screens are kept in your home’s family areas. You should also encourage your teenager to exercise while they’re watching television.
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Try Not To Nag
Encouraging your child to stay active is incredibly important, but nagging them is a completely different story. If anything, this will hurt your cause and make your teen want to watch television just to annoy you. If you feel that your encouragements have crossed over into nagging territory, then you should take a step back from your teen for a while. Instead, focus your attention on your own health and planning active activities for the family.
Keeping your teenager active can be difficult, but these tips should make your task a little easier.
