Guest blog written by Barry White.
Fitness is an important part of everyone’s lifestyles, but particularly teenagers. Throughout this time, the body is developing and adapting to the world around it, so by stimulating the body physically, you can help it to develop into something stronger, leaner, and all around healthier. Sitting at a desk all day at school is not healthy as it keeps teens sedentary, BUT they can counter this by working out after school and on the weekends!
As well as this, there are many benefits to starting a consistent workout routine in your early years as it sets you up for a healthy lifestyle as you grow up. It teaches young people patience, dedication, and how committing yourself to something can reap a large reward!
In this article, we will be sharing the 7 best workouts for teens so that they can become the healthiest and happiest versions of themselves possible…
1. Dips
Dips are a great strength training exercise for building up the triceps, shoulders, chest, and core in one single movement. Not only that, but you don’t need any special equipment. You can do dips against a chair, sofa, table, or any flat service. You can even push two chairs together and place your hands against the backs of the chairs as long as they’re stable. Dips are also a great progression from push-ups when they get too easy.
2. Lunges
Next up, we have lunges. Lunges are great for stimulating the lower body and also, evening out any imbalances between your legs. With exercises such as the squat, one side of your body can take over if it’s stronger. With lunges, it’s very clear to see if one side is weaker. These are a great way to become stronger with sport as well, especially any that involve sprinting or running. Functional training allows an individual to utilize their mechanics in a natural, productive manner. Try out a MoveStrong class!
3. V sit and Twist
The V-Sit and twist challenges the core in a dynamic fashion as your core is constantly engaged and moving. The standard v-sit is already a great movement as your abs are forced to keep you upright. The closer you have your body and legs to the ground, the harder the exercise becomes. By adding the twist, you also hit the obliques on the side which is great for improving function in dynamic movements and preventing against injury. Pilates is a great way to work on strengthening your core! We offer private and small-group sessions, teens are welcome to join!
4. Bend and Kick Back
This movement hits the core and legs, but specifically, the glutes. The glutes are the strongest muscle on the body and are used for keeping the spine and pelvis in a healthy position. These are good as a stand-alone exercise but can also be used as a primer exercise for other lower body exercises such as the lunge.
5. Yoga
Yoga is a fantastic style of exercise for improving flexibility, strength, balance and co-ordination which not only helps the body, but also the mind. Yoga is often used for relaxation which is perfect for any teenagers in stressful situations or at a time where they need to develop their focus. Our Sky Yoga program offers a variety of classes in the evening and on the weekend that are appropriate for teens, including Warm Vinyasa, Slow Flow, Yin Yoga and Feel The Burn!
6. Butterfly Breath
Butterfly breathing is a yoga technique used to calm the body and the mind simultaneously. It’s also good for working the legs, core, and arms. By moving your body and breathing at the same time, it helps to bring your mind into the current moment and also establish a solid mind muscle connection which can benefit you in all manors of life.
7. Cardio Exercise
Lastly, we have cardio exercise. Cardio helps to burn calories, improve blood flow, increase muscular strength, improve balance, improve co-ordination, and also, increase bone density. Many teenagers might think that cardio is boring, but there’s such a variety of options that they really just need to find the cardio option that suits them the best. In fact, most sports count as cardio and it’s just the element of competition that makes them more interesting. So try to think outside the box when it comes to cardio to see whether you can spice things up a little. You can workout across the world virtually from Sky Fitness with our Virtual Active Cardio technology!