Teenagers’ bodies go through a great deal of change as they grow older. As teens begin to make their own choices, exercise and eating habits should be implemented to help them pave the way for a healthy lifestyle. Many teens look up workout routines online, which are often not teen-friendly.
Whether your teen wants to gain speed for sports, feel confident in his or her own skin, or bulk up, here are some fitness tips you can share to help him or her exercise safely.
Don’t Do Chest Exercises Every Day
The dangers of overtraining apply to all muscle groups, but is most commonly seen with chest workouts. Working the chest too often is one of the worst habits boys get into. By the time they’re in their 20s, the chest muscles are so over developed and tight, they look like cavemen. Muscles break down and tear each time they are strained, and they need proper recovery time to grow.
Learn Muscle Balance
Teach your to teen to exercise the entire body, both upper and lower halves. Too many individuals will either focus on their lower body (girls) or upper body (boys). Power, strength and a strong core all come from the ground up. Teens need to have a strong base in order to distribute that power and energy in whatever they’re doing. Make sure your teen alternates lower- and upper-body strength training exercises. In addition, he or she should learn balance, bodyweight and plyometric exercises.
Focus On Breathing
Breathing will make or break any fitness activity. Always breathe out on the exertion part of an exercise. Reversing breath may lead to nausea or fainting.
Follow Great Biomechanics
Unless your teen plays football or is involved in a sport where he or she needs to push someone away, he or she does not need to bring the barbell to his or her chest. Sport-specific training is used for the sport that is played, so make sure your teen trains for his or her sport.
If your teen likes to exercise, a smart rule he or she can practice is the 90-degree rule. Whatever exercise you teen does: chest press, shoulder press, squat, leg press or lunge, do not go past 90 degrees. It will keep him or her safe and injury-free.
Don’t Go Super Heavy
Teens are still growing. In order to avoid disruption to growth plates, your teen should skip heavy weights; the skeletal structure cannot handle it. If your teen is closer to 18 years old, then he or she can start to implement the overload principle. If he or she is 13 to 15 years of age, then your teen should stick to muscular-endurance exercises and learn correct form before applying heavier loads.
