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Exercise and Fitness

Teen exercise

03/09/2006

Question:

I`m an average teenager that goes to school from 8-4. I eat well, but I hardly exercise.

I know next to nothing about the types of exrcises except what I leearned a few years back in PE. I wanted to know how much exercise a teen should get to shed a few pounds. For how long should I exercise? Should I jog, walk, jumprope?

Please recommend exercises and give a brief explination. Thanks!

Answer:

Dear Average Teen (11 - 20 yo),

Thanks for your question concerning exercise and weight loss. The American College of Sports Medicine, ACSM, suggests, "Healthy children should engage in three or more sessions per week of activities that last 20 minutes or more at a time and that require moderate to vigorous levels of exertion. Moderate to vigorous activities are those that require at least as much effort as brisk or fast walking. A diversity of activities that use large muscle groups are recommended as part of sports, recreation, chores, transportation, work, school, physical education, or planned exercise. Examples include brisk walking, jogging, stair climbing, basketball, racquet sports, soccer, dance, swimming laps, skating, strength (resistance) training, lawn mowing, strenuous housework, cross-country skiing, and cycling."

"You are encouraged to be spontaneously active, but planned exercise with skill development is also important. Caution during exercise in climatic extremes is also important." -ACSM's Resource Manual for Exercise Testing and Prescription, Third Edition, Section Eleven, Human Development, pages 507 - 514.

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Response by:

David Carroll David Carroll
Fitness Instructor
Fitness Center at CARE\Crawley
University of Cincinnati