Weight Loss Exercise Plans for Teens

With increased access to fast food and growing portion sizes, teens are rapidly becoming overweight and even obese. In addition to the extreme caloric intake many teens consume, most are not getting enough exercise to maintain a healthy weight. Teens should make healthy diet choices and get exercise most days of the week in order to lose weight effectively and safely.

Diet

• One culprit of teenage weight gain is the poor diet. Fast food, high sugar and fat content within everyday foods and processed or refined diet choices are all cause for weight gain. As with adults, teens should drink at least 64 ounces of water each day to flush the system of fat, sodium and toxins, as well as to stay hydrated. Eat at least five servings of vegetables and fruits each day, because they contain a healthy balance of minerals and vitamins, in addition to fiber. Teenagers should eat at least three servings of dairy and three servings of protein each day.

  Teens should eat breakfast each day to start the metabolism, which is key to losing weight. Eating breakfast also fills you up, reducing the chances of eating too much later on in the day.

Exercise

• Getting plenty of exercise can help teens increase endorphins, which improve sleep and help combat low self-esteem. Teens should partake in activities that increase heart rate like jogging, dancing or sports for at least one hour every day. Simple strength training exercises like bicep curls, lunges or tricep dips increase muscle mass to keep joints fully functioning and to increase the metabolism. Do 12 to 15 reps of each strength-training exercise for three sets every other day. Rest between strength-training workouts is important to allow muscles to repair and reduce injury.

Suggestions

• Teens should never undergo a diet program without the supervision of a physician, because they need plenty of nutrition they might not otherwise get with a restrictive diet plan. Programs like Weight Watchers may be approved by a physician because they eat regular, nutritious food in healthy portion sizes.

  Reduce intake of sugary drinks like soda or juice, since they contain empty calories. Cutting out sugary drinks may reduce caloric intake by approximately 200 calories or more each day. Incorporate any type of activity into daily life, including walking or riding a bike to school, joining an organized sport or getting outside instead of watching TV.