Teenagers and Exercise

Today's teenagers get far less exercise than teens of yesteryear. This is not because there is less to do today. On the contrary, there are far more societal offerings today than ever in our history. However, many of the activities  available to teens today also include sedentary tasks like extraordinary visual games such as X-BOX, Nintendo and Wii, not to mention the multitude of games available on their cell phones, facebook and other internet sources. These "path of less resistance" offerings are so tempting to teens because of their ease of access and the lack of effort needed to succeed. They pretty much just need to stay awake and they can experience some virtual success in an insignificant world of illusion. Although this seems superficial to most adults, and in many ways it is, it is no surprise that in our current culture of poor adult supervision paired with easy access, high visual stimulation and immediate gratification seeking teens, that exercise is back burnered. How to compete with technology is a questions too many parents share. The short answer is that you don't compete with it, you join it and make it part of an overall package that incorporates health alongside technology. Kids are attracted to novelty and when cell phones, Ipods, I phones etc. can be part of the hike in the woods or biking excurcison along the path, then kids will begin to see that adults appreciate their value and are willing to meet them half way. It is simply impossible to reject all aspects of modernization unless you choose to have your child live in a bubble, in which it is hard to find those locations anymore. Using the wii as a means of achieving exercise, again tells kids that you see the joy in it, while also promoting health through movement. When trying to promote health and exercise it is important to not fight against the means in which kids are willing to push their bodies. Instead, pay attention to what they are willing to do and join them in it.