Why is exercise wise?
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You've probably
heard countless times how exercise is "good for you" but did you know that it
can actually help you
feel good,
too? Getting the right amount of exercise can rev up your energy levels and
even help you to feel better emotionally.
Experts
recommend that adults get more than 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical
activity each day. There are three components to a well-balanced exercise
routine: aerobic exercise, strength training, and flexibility training.
Rewards and
Benefits Exercising can
help you look better, too. People who exercise burn calories and look more
toned than those who don't. In fact, exercise is one of the most important
parts of keeping your body at a healthy weight. When you exercise, you burn
food calories as fuel. If a person eats more calories than he or she burns, the
body stores them away as fat. Exercise can help burn these stored calories.
Exercising to
maintain a healthy weight also decreases a person's risk of developing certain
diseases, including type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. These diseases,
which used to be found mostly in adults, are becoming more common in teens.
Finally, it may
not seem important now, but exercise can help a person age well. Women are
especially prone to a condition called
osteoporosis
(a weakening of the bones) as they get older. Studies have found that
weight-bearing exercise, like running or brisk walking, can help girls (and
guys!) keep their bones strong.
Aerobic
Exercise In addition to
being active every day, experts recommend that teens get at least three
20-minute sessions a week of vigorous activity. If you play team sports, you're
probably doing more than that recommendation, which is great! Some
team sports that give you a great aerobic workout are swimming, basketball,
soccer, lacrosse, hockey, and rowing.
But if you don't
play team sports, don't worry; there are plenty of ways to get aerobic exercise
on your own or with friends. These include biking, running, swimming,
dancing, in-line skating, cross-country skiing, hiking, and walking quickly. In
fact, the types of exercise that you do on your own are easier to continue when
you leave high school and go on to work or college, making it easier to stay
fit later in life as well.
Strength
Training Different types
of exercise strengthen different muscle groups, for example:
For arms, try
rowing or cross-country skiing. Pull-ups and push-ups, those old gym class
standbys, are also good for building arm muscles.
For strong legs,
try running, biking, or skating.
For shapely abs,
you can't beat rowing, bike riding, and crunches.
Flexibility
Training Sports and
activities that encourage flexibility are easy to find. Many high schools have
gymnastics programs. Martial arts like karate also help a person stay flexible.
Ballet, pilates, and yoga are other good choices. Warming up for a
workout and doing simple stretching exercises after your workout also help you
develop flexibility.
What's Right
for Me? When picking the
right type of exercise for you it can help to consider your workout
personality. For example, do you like to work out alone and on your own
schedule (in which case solo sports like biking or snowboarding may be for
you), or do you like the shared motivation and companionship that comes from
being part of a team? You also need to factor in practical considerations; such
as whether your chosen activity is affordable and accessible to you (activities
like horse riding are harder for people who live in cities, for example) and
how much time you can set aside for your sport.
Too Much of
a Good Thing Exercising
too much in an effort to burn calories and lose weight can
be a sign of an
eating disorder. If you
have any doubts about how much you should be exercising, talk with a school
nurse or family doctor. And if you ever get the feeling that your exercise is
in charge of you rather than the other way around, talk with your doctor, a
parent, or another adult you trust.
Some girls who
over exercise may stop getting their periods, a condition known as
amenorrhea
(pronounced: a-meh-nuh-ree-uh).
Girls who regularly miss periods are less able to incorporate calcium into
their bones, which can lead to the decreased bone density and increased risk of
injury that goes with osteoporosis. The combination of amenorrhea, disordered
eating, and osteoporosis is a condition called
female athlete triad.
Considering the
benefits to the heart, muscles, joints, and mind, it's easy to see why exercise
is wise. If you exercise now, keep it up as you become an adult (this is often
the biggest exercise challenge for people as they get busy with college and
careers). One of the great things about exercise is that it's never too late to
start. And don't forget that even small things can count as exercise when
you're starting out - like taking a short bike ride or raking leaves. Even
walking your dog counts as part of your 60 minutes a day of exercise (and your
vet will tell you that animals need workouts just like humans do, so if your
family pooch is portly, he'll benefit from your dedication, too).
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