What is Normal?
Q & A - Physical Activity & Teens

Teens will likely see benefits such as, improvement in muscular strength, more lean muscle, and a decrease in body fat and/or body weight. Activity can also help to reduce stress and anxiety, encourage better sleep, and improve self-esteem. Together with nutrition, exercise even affects learning potential.

There will also be benefits they won't see but are equally important for long-term health, such as, an increase in bone mass and cardio-respiratory fitness. Experts define overall physical fitness to include five main components: Cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, body composition, and flexibility.

Related sites and documents

 Bone Health - U.S. Surgeon General

 Value of Improving Nutrition and PE [PDF]

 Physical Activity - the Magic Bullet! [PDF]

 Self-esteem, Sport and Physical Activity [PDF]

 Activity, not Food, Shows Strong Correlation to Weight Gain [PDF]

Physical activity does not need to be aerobic to be beneficial. Every movement of the body or physical activity will benefit the body in some way. Yoga's reward is muscular flexibility and relaxation; weight training affects the muscular system impacting strength and balance, and sprinting and bike racing will strengthen the muscular system too. Aerobic activity will supply fuel and oxygen to the body's circulatory and respiratory systems.

So, to be physically fit overall, as defined in the previous answer, an aerobic endurance activity will need to be included to meet the criteria of cardiorespiratory fitness.

Related sites and documents

 Components of Physical Fitness

The U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) and Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that for health, teens need to be active for at least 60 minutes a day. Ten or 15-minute activities equaling 60 minutes will also have significant health benefits, when the activities are at least, moderate in intensity.

New theories and research are continually adding to the knowledge of how everyone is different in regards to the balance of energy and food. Non-exercise activity thermogenesis, (NEAT) is one such factor. Endocrinology research from Mayo Clinic has found that even chewing gum and fidgeting burns calories and will have an effect on body weight! Any kind of activity that is not sleeping, eating or sports-like activity uses energy. Levine from Mayo Clinic concluded his studies saying, "NEAT and a sedentary lifestyle may thus be of profound importance in obesity."

Related sites and documents

 Measuring Activity Intensity, Benefits, and More

 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans [PDF]

 Non-exercise activity thermogenesis (NEAT) [PDF]

 Sleep Patterns and Obesity [PDF]

The majority of teens get only positive benefits from exercise. But when societal, school, peer, and/or self-imposed pressure are the reason for extremely intense training or exercise, the impact on a teen's overall and long-term health will be negative.

The Female Athlete Triad is a health-threatening syndrome when very physically active girls and women have even one of these inter-connected issues: disordered eating, amenorrhea (loss of menstruation), and/or osteoporosis. The Female Athlete Triad occurs most often in sports stressing low body weight, such as gymnastics, ballet, cheer, skating, diving, some track events and others. Symptoms such as stress fractures, no periods, excessive fatigue, and muscle injuries warrant medical care. Coaches and parents with girls in these sports need to know the early warning signs.

Another time when too much exercise can do more harm than good, is after an injury. Impartial experts are the best to determine the approach for healing, as training and/or performing without healing can cause permanent injury. An unwillingness follow this advice may signal a need-to-succeed value, which would also need to be addressed.

Related sites and documents

 Sports, Injury and Health

 The Female Athlete Triad [PDF]

Being active has many benefits yet, it will not make up for poor eating. The nutrition goal for an active, healthy teen is to eat the right amount of nutrients and calories for their body to perform its best. A pattern of skipping breakfast, grabbing a mega-muffin and a pop for lunch, then a strenuous workout, will take its toll. In the short term, muscles and the brain need fuel in the form of glucose circulating in the blood. Without enough fuel (calories) that day, performance and especially endurance will not be at top level.

All teens, including those who are physically active, need a variety of nutrient-rich foods from all five food groups, in the recommended amounts. This will give teens enough nutrients for a healthy body. And teens who exercise can balance the calories used for their activity with calories from less nutrient-rich foods. For more about nutrition, see Chew on This - Nutrition & Teens.

Related sites and documents

 Eating for Peak Performance

 Is Physical Activity by Itself the Answer? [PDF]

Most health experts know the benefits of quality physical education for K-12th graders. P.E. impacts, not only fitness but also gives kids a chance to find out how incredible the human body can move, perform, and improve with regular exercise and practice.

And most academic leaders know that physical activity added to a day of mental work improves alertness, academic performance, and readiness and enthusiasm for learning.

Assessment Activity: Have teens analyze, problem-solve, debate, and create recommendations for future fitness activities, classes, and/or clubs in their school and/or community. Include information about real issues, such as school budget, facilities, and staffing. Consider sharing the ideas with staff, parent groups, and/or other decision-makers.

Related sites and documents

 Engaging Students in the Fight against Childhood Obesity [PDF]

 School Health Programs to Promote Physical Activity [PDF]