How much exercise should teenagers get? How to avoid overtraining

How different life is now compared to when we were roaming the plains and woods as hunters.

But one thing hasn’t changed: us. Our minds and bodies aren’t designed to sit at desks or in front of screens for every waking hour. We need to move. As do our teenage children. But how much time do they need to spend away from their devices and out in the world moving? We delve into how much exercise teenagers need here…

The AHA recommends teenagers spend 60 minutes per day exercising. This doesn’t necessarily mean they need to do a high intensity hours workout 7 days a week, and they shouldn’t. But an hour spent moderately exercising every day will improve their physical and mental health.

Benefits of exercise for teens

Exercise is incredibly important for the proper health and development of your teenager. Regular physical activity for teenagers has numerous benefits, including improved physical health, enhanced cognitive functioning, and better moods. This is a time in their life when they really start to notice and worry about where they fit in socially. With that comes an increase in consciousness of how they look. I really believe that we should educate children on the importance of exercising for themselves and to show them what they’re physically capable of. But we’ve all been there. Having low body fat and a strong physique can bring self confidence when you feel like your jostling for your social position in the tribe.

Encouraging your teenager to exercise can put them in a positive place where they’re healthier for the rest of their life. It not only improves development of their muscles and bones but their brain aswell.

Read about more benefits of exercise for teenagers here…

Cognitive benefits

Exercise has been shown to improve mental health in teenagers as well by reducing stress levels and increasing happiness. Regular physical activity can help to improve mood, reduce anxiety and depression, and increase self-esteem. Exercise also increases energy levels, helping teenagers feel more alert and motivated throughout the day. This last one cannot be overlooked. We all remember being teenagers and might envy the energy we had then compared to now. But they’ve got a lot going on. They’re not only trying to excel in school and sports, but also trying to figure out who they are and where they fit into the world. The extra energy will help them get through a long day at school and still be able to function and enjoy life after.

Exercise can boost cognitive functioning in teens as well. Studies have shown that regular physical activity helps with focus and concentration, memory recall, problem-solving skills, decision-making abilities, and academic performance. Exercise also helps to improve overall brain functioning by increasing the production of important neurotransmitters like serotonin(1).

How to boost your son’s brain with meat!

How much exercise should teenagers get?

The amount of exercise a teenager should get can vary based on their age, weight, and activity level. Generally speaking, the American Heart Association recommends that teens between the ages of 13-18 engage in at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day(2).

This probably sounds like a lot and may lead to worries about obsessive behaviours and overtraining. The way I like to think about it is: how much exercise would my son be doing if we were hunter-gatherers? And the answer is probably quite alot. Especially by todays standards. Think about how long your teenager must spend sitting in a chair at school.

Now, this absolutely does not mean that I’d expect every teenager to do a 60 minute training session 7 days a week. If I was doing that as a hunter-gatherer then I reckon I’d be doing something wrong. 60 minutes of moderate exercise can be incorporated throughout the day and can include walking to school and playing outside at break times or at home. And then a couple of days or more a week I’d want my teenager to do some sort of programmed exercise like playing a sport or weight training. The real answer, as it is for adults, is to simply move often and move well. But overall, MOVE.

Overtraining

It is important to note that teens should not be overly strenuous with their exercise routine. Too much intensity too early in their fitness journey can lead to burnout and injury. Instead, they should gradually increase the difficulty of their workouts over time. It’s easy to see that 60 minutes of exercise per day and interpret it to mean a 60 minute thrashing. In reality, most teenagers would benefit much more from walking regulalry, taking breaks from sitting at a desk, and performing mobility exercises to counteract the negative effects of sitting in a chair for hours.

It’s important for teens to get enough rest and recovery time between workouts. Getting adequate sleep is essential for muscle repair and overall health. Teens should aim for 8-10 hours of sleep each night to ensure proper rest and recovery(4).

Sleep is essential to recovery and health. Read more about it here…

Strength training

In addition to this, strength training is also important for teens. Weightlifting helps to increase muscle size and strength, which can improve physical performance in sports and everyday life(3). It can also help with weight management by increasing the body’s metabolism, lowering body fat and improving body composition. Again, strength training doesn’t necessarily mean bodybuilding programmes, smelling salts and unitards. Being able to move their own body weight effectively is an important life skill that, unfortunately, would put them head and shoulders above many of their peers in later life. Instill into them that being able to move effectively would not only improve their own chances of survival in an emergency, but would allow them to help others. Nobody wants to be seen as the useless bystander that’s too out of shape to help someone in need.

Read here to learn how sugar can ruin your son’s sleep, and therefore recovery!

What are the dangers of not exercising as a teenager?

The dangers of not exercising as a teenager are numerous, and the effects can last into adulthood. Without regular physical activity, teenagers are at greater risk for chronic conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and obesity(5). They are also more likely to end up with lower bone density due to inadequate amounts of calcium deposition during the peak bone growth period(7). This can increase the risk of osteoporosis in later life. Lack of exercise can also hamper their developing brain. Exercise stimulates the production of important neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, and noradrenaline, which are vital for healthy brain functioning(6).

Read here to learn about the link between obesity and depression!

Overall, it’s important to stress that that by not being active and putting their body under some sort of physical exertion will result in a teenager and then an adult that isn’t fully aware of how amazing they are and what they can do. Which is a very sad thing. The route to peace and happiness, in my opinion, is self-confidence. By not allowing them to experience any hardship, you are depriving them of the oppurtunity to live to the fullest. There is no greater reason to exercise than that.

It is a disgrace to grow old through
sheer carelessness before seeing what
manner of man you may become by
developing your bodily strength and
beauty to their highest limit
Socrates

Summary

Regular physical activity is important for teenage health and development.

Teens should gradually increase the difficulty of their workouts over time in order to prevent burnout or injury.

Walking regularly, taking breaks from sitting at a desk, and performing mobility exercises can help counteract the negative effects of sitting in a chair for hours.

Weightlifting can increase muscle size and strength, which can improve physical performance in sports and everyday life.

Teens should get 8-10 hours of sleep each night to ensure proper rest and recovery.

Not exercising as a teenager puts them at greater risk for chronic conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.

Exercise stimulates the production of important neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin, and noradrenaline, which are vital for healthy brain functioning.

Regular physical activity can help teens build self-confidence and live to their fullest potential.

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