Older children, adolescents and teenagers are usually between 5 and 18 years and are either in school or transitioning from one level of school to the other. This is a period of meeting new people, making friends and sometimes having to make choices during the hours they are away from home. It is also the time that academic success is on the priority list of their parents, family and friends. They therefore need to be healthy and productive to do well now and grow into good adults in the future. Staying active is one ways for this age group to achieve health and productivity. In staying active;
- They will perform well in school and in life: Doing well in school and in life leads to a successful life. If they stay active, it will help in cognitive development consequently making them concentrate in class, and at home when learning on their own, from parents, or teachers. Because they pay more attention, they are able to understand what is being taught, and can answer questions in class and exams.
- They will have a good image among peers: How their friends, classmates and teachers see them is important to a growing young person. All of us want to be healthy and good looking. Staying active or exercising helps them to maintain good weight, build strong muscles and strengthens their bones making them look strong and energetic among peers. This makes them feel more confident and beautiful.
- They will have good friends: Friendship is an important part of life. Good friends help us, make us laugh, fight for us, and are there for us. Feeling confident and beautiful makes your teenager feel good about him or herself. They are also not afraid to talk to anyone because they feel strong and energetic. All these are achieved from staying active (exercising).
- They will become healthier young persons: Nobody likes falling sick, getting admitted in the hospital, swallowing medicines, vomiting and taking drips. Teenagers rather want to be healthy and fit so they can wear nice clothes and attend birthday parties, family gatherings, religious service and other fun events. Staying active helps them to avoid childhood obesity and its associated diseases.
- They become healthier adults in future: There are successful adults who are working and earning money, they have good friends, and a good image, but they are not happy if they are not healthy. We all like to enjoy life to the fullest and live it to the longest. Encourage your teenager to stay active at a young age, because it decreases the chances that when they grow older, they will get diseases like diabetes and heart attacks, which kill millions of people every year all over the world.
Apart from diabetes and heart attacks, several other problems relating to weight in the future, can be prevented when teenagers learn to stay active at a young age.
- They sleep better: Do your children in this age group struggle to sleep and get enough sleep? Staying active or exercising will help them to fall asleep quickly and to give them a restful sleep. In the end, they wake up in the morning looking and feeling fresh and looking forward to going to school to learn and meet their friends.
Written and reviewed by: Irene Danquah, ANutr
Last page review: 23/12/2021
Next page review: 31/12/2024