Teenagers are busy. They’re busy with friendships and exams, and school. Some of them even have jobs and hobbies, and all this serves to take up as much of their time as possible. Teenagers, therefore, will often reject the idea of exercise and movement because it just ends up being one more thing that takes up their time.
How to Get Your Teens Interested in Exercise
This is a collaborative post
If you’re struggling to get your teenager moving, you’re not alone. You need to get your teenagers interested in exercise and movement if you want to ensure that they are as healthy as possible. Whether you bribe them with the latest BMX bike to get them on the trails with you or you ask them to challenge you in a race, you need to get creative if you want your teenagers to feel like they can be involved in movement again. The good news is that this article covers exactly that! Let’s take a look at how you can encourage your teenagers to exercise more.
- Model the behaviour you want to see. If you want your teenagers to exercise, you must show them how to do it. That means either doing it with them or showing off exactly what to do by modelling the behaviour. Get up and go to the gym, or get up and go for a walk every day. They will either join you or feel inspired by your movement.
- Make it fun. The problem with exercise is that it can be boring to some people. In some cases, this is so true. Running isn’t for everyone, but skateboarding might be more interesting. Karate could easily be more fun than weightlifting. The key is asking your teenagers what they like best and working with them for that workout to be fun for them. You can ensure that their workouts are much more of a game and more fun than going through the motions.
- Bring on their friends. Social workouts can be the clincher if you want to encourage a reluctant teenager to get involved with movement. Getting them to the ice rink or skate park with friends is one of the best things that you can do to get them out of the house and move their bodies. Teenagers need movement, and getting their friends involved can help them to think it is a fun activity.
- Cheer them on. If your teenager chooses to join a team as a result of their newfound interest in exercise, be there to cheer them on and make them feel like they are doing the right thing. If you cheer for them, they will know that you support and love them through it, which can often be something that’ll help.
You may have a few hit-and-miss moments to get your teenagers interested in exercise, but it’s super worth it if it fosters a newfound excitement for movement. Don’t bully them into it; just get them gently interested, and don’t forget to model the behaviour yourself.
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