A Teen's Guide to Fitness & Exercise
What You Need to Know about Cardio, Strength Training and More
-- By SparkTeens Fitness Coaches
Many people think of exercise as a chore—something they have to do to reach a goal, like lose weight, tone up, or be a better athlete. But fitness is more than just a means to an end. It's a healthy behavior that should be a permanent part of every person's life, simple because it offers so many benefits. SparkTeens cares about you and your fitness level, so we developed this guide to help you understand what really counts when it comes to exercise.We recommend that you take your time reading this guide. You can start by clicking on topics that appeal to you, or by reading the guide in order.
The Benefits of Exercise
Who should exercise?
The 3 Keys to Fitness for Teens
Creating Your Own Workout Plan
The Benefits of Exercise
You can expect some major benefits by exercising. Check out what a consistent fitness program can do for you:
How Exercise Benefits Your Body
- Boosts metabolism
- Helps you reach and maintain a healthy weight
- Keeps you strong
- Improves athletic performance
- Reduces injury risk
- Builds stronger bones
- Improves your appearance
- Enhances your immune system
- Prevents and manages many health conditions
- Strengthens your heart and lungs
- Improves your self-esteem
- Helps relieve depression
- Regulates your sleeping patterns
- Gives you more energy
- Better concentration
- Boosts confidence
- Enhances your memory
- Improves your body image
Who should exercise?
Everyone! When you think of exercise, you probably imagine one of two things: 1) an athlete training for a sport, or 2) someone exercising to look better. While exercise does help people reach these types of goals, you should exercise even if you don't have these results in mind. It doesn't matter whether you play sports, what you weigh, or if you already feel healthy. Every teen can benefit from a regular fitness program—and you don't have to train for a marathon or give up your social life to achieve these benefits. All it takes is the right balance of three types of exercise.
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The 3 Keys to Fitness for Teens
There's more to physical fitness than just running or just lifting weights. Your body needs cardio (aerobic) exercise, strength exercise and flexibility exercise. Here's what you need to know.
1. Cardio Exercise
- What is it? Also called "aerobic" exercise, cardio uses large muscles in a repetitive way for several minutes straight. Some examples of cardio include walking, jogging, running, dancing, skiing, rollerblading, bicycling, swimming, and aerobics classes. Some exercise machines, like the treadmill, elliptical, stair climber, and rower also give you a cardio workout.
- Why do it? Cardio strengthens your heart and lungs, helps you maintain a healthy weight, lowers your risk of sickness and disease, and makes you feel good.
- How much? Each cardio workout should increase your heart rate to a "somewhat challenging" level for you. Aim for 3-5 cardio sessions each week, starting with a few days and gradually doing more. Each cardio session should range from 20-60 total minutes, but be sure to start at a length you can handle and gradually progress. That time can also add up throughout the day—several "mini workouts" are just as effective!
- What else? Talk to your doctor before starting a new fitness activity, especially if you have any medical condition that may limit what your body can handle. Exercise shouldn't be something that you dread, so choose a variety of activities that you enjoy. Always warm-up and cool down for 5-10 minutes before and after your workout. Drink plenty of water and be sure to eat something within two hours before you exercise so that you have plenty of fuel for your workout.
- Need some ideas? Use these three resources.
1. Read our in-depth guide to aerobic exercise.
2. Here are some cardio workouts and training programs:
Walking Healthy Workouts
Running Workouts
Elliptical Workouts
Bike Workouts
5- and 10-Minute Workouts
5K Race Training
3. Check out these sample workout plans for ideas to fit in your cardio, based on the number of days you want to work out each week:
| Examples | Day 1 | Day 2 |
Day 3 |
Day 4 |
Day 5 |
Day 6 |
Day 7 |
| 3 workouts | cardio | rest | cardio | rest | cardio | rest | rest |
| 4 workouts | cardio | cardio | rest | cardio | cardio | rest | rest |
| 4 workouts | cardio | rest | cardio | rest | cardio | rest | cardio |
| 5 workouts | cardio | cardio | rest | cardio | cardio | rest | cardio |
| 5 workouts | cardio | cardio | cardio | cardio | cardio | rest | rest |
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2. Strength Exercise
- What is it? Whether you call it resistance training, weight lifting, toning or body sculpting, it all refers to the same thing—strengthening your muscles by performing exercises against resistance. There are various ways to work against resistance. You can use dumbbells, barbells, resistance bands, strength training machines, or even your own body weight.
- Why do it? Every movement you make involves your muscles, and you can become stronger by training them. Strength training also strengthens your bones, tendons and ligaments, which improves your fitness, appearance and metabolism so that you can better maintain a healthy weight.
- How much? Each strength training workout should include at least one exercise for each of your major muscle groups (your arms, chest, back, core and legs). Do 1-3 sets of 8-15 repetitions of each exercise (for example, three sets of 10 pushups), and perform your strength training workout 1-3 times per week. Be sure that you don't strength train on back-to-back days, because resting your muscles helps them recover and become stronger.
- What else? Talk to your doctor before starting a strength training program, especially if you have any medical condition that may limit what your body can handle. Always warm-up and cool down for 5-10 minutes before and after your workout. Drink plenty of water and be sure to eat something within two hours before you exercise so that you have plenty of fuel for your workout. Proper form is essential for safe and effective strength training. Always start with a light weight that you can handle, and gradually increase your resistance, repetitions and sets over time.
- Need some ideas? Use these four resources.
1. Read our in-depth guide to strength exercise.
2. Use our exercise demonstrations for proper form and ideas.
3. Here are some strength training workouts:
10-Minute Strength Workouts
30-Minute Strength Workouts
SparkPeople's Online Workout Videos
7 Exercises to Work Your Whole Body
The Dorm Room Workout
The Mix 'N Match Workout
The Dorm Room Workout
The Bikini Workout
4. Check out these sample workout plans for ideas to fit in your strength training, based on the number of days want to work out each week:
| Examples | Day 1 | Day 2 |
Day 3 |
Day 4 |
Day 5 |
Day 6 |
Day 7 |
| 1 workout | rest | rest | rest | strength | rest | rest | rest |
| 2 workouts | strength | rest | rest | rest | strength | rest | rest |
| split workouts | upper body | lower body | rest | rest | upper body | lower body | rest |
| 3 workouts | strength | rest | rest | strength | rest | strength | rest |
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3. Flexibility Exercise
- What is it? Stretching is another name for flexibility exercise, which can help lengthen your muscles and develop an appropriate range of motion for specific sports and daily activities. Bending to touch your toes is a great stretch for the hamstrings and back, for example, but activities like yoga and Pilates also provide flexibility exercises.
- Why do it? Flexibility exercises increase joint mobility, reduces injuries, improves coordination, and enhances your posture.
- How much? You should stretch all of your major muscle groups (your arms, chest, back, core and legs) at least 3-7 times per week, such as each time you do strength and cardio exercises. Hold each stretch in a slow and controlled manner for 15-30 seconds.
- What else? Only stretch when your muscles are already warmed up, such as after a workout. If you feel pain when stretching, then you've stretched too far. Only go to the point of "mild discomfort" and never bounce while stretching. Everyone has different degrees of flexibility, so don't compare yourself to others—just move through a comfortable range for you.
- Need some ideas? Stretching should be a part of each of your cardio and strength training workouts. You can also choose to take part in stretches on other days by doing a yoga video, for example. Use these three resources.
1. Read our in-depth stretching guide.
2. Use our stretching demonstrations for proper form and ideas.
3. Try our Basic Stretching Workout.
Creating Your Own Workout Plan
Putting together these three keys to fitness into an actual workout plan can be overwhelming at first. Use the workout samples above as guides to customizing a fitness plan for you. If you're a beginner, start with fewer workouts per week, such as 3 cardio sessions and 1 strength training session (include flexibility exercises at each workout). As you progress, gradually add more days per week until you reach the maximum of 5 cardio and 3 strength training sessions. Keep in mind that you can do strength training and cardio on the same day if you choose—it just depends on what works best for you.
Use the following tips when choosing cardio, strength and flexibility exercises to meet your fitness goals:
- Choose activities that you enjoy—exercise should be fun!
- Always warm up before and cool down after your workouts.
- Start slowly and listen to your body. Go at a pace that feels good to you.
- Choose a variety of exercises to avoid boredom and prevent plateaus.
- Check with your doctor before starting an exercise program, especially if you are overweight or have any health conditions, such as diabetes, asthma, or previous injuries.
- Drink water before, during and after exercise to stay hydrated.
- Don't exercise if you feel sick or are injured.
- Watch for signs of discomfort, dizziness or lightheadedness—these are signs you need to slow down and/or stop.
- You can do your cardio and strength workouts on the same day or different days. It is a matter of personal preference and time available.
This guide was written, reviewed, and/or approved by Tanya Jolliffe, Nutritionist, Jen Mueller, Certified Personal Trainer, and Nicole Nichols, Certified Fitness Instructor.
