The teenage years are difficult, not only for the teenager but for everyone. For teen girls, it is a time of self-discovery, and one way to help them is through encouraging increased physical activity.

The Benefits of Physical Activity

Physical activity improves the level of your health. When you are healthy, you are less prone to disease and illness. For teens, that can mean a decreased incidence of pimples, acne, colds and other conditions.

Physical activity also reshapes the body. Where they were once lanky, they can have shapelier muscles. If they are carrying extra pounds, they can slim down to a healthier weight.

How to Encourage Activity

With technology growing by leaps and bounds, people can accomplish several tasks by sitting and tapping the screens on their cell phones, or surfing on the Internet instead of running around town. Technology is good, but it has left the younger generation lacking in physical activity and a greater number of teenagers are overweight and undernourished.

Here are a few tips to get started:

* Choose an activity that they like – Traditional exercise is not exactly what many teen girls are looking for. Many of them like to dance, so try to interest them in a dance class. The hottest craze right now is Zumba fitness. It is Latin, hip-hop, salsa and club dancing all mixed together for a fun, calorie-burning workout.

* Work out with them – There is strength in numbers. When they see that you are participating and are not just all talk, they will be more likely to give it a try, but still allow them to choose the activity. Encourage them to also bring a few friends along. They will also see that you don’t have to be an athlete to participate and do well.

* Choose same sex activities – It can be hard to concentrate on what you are doing if there are boys in the room. This can make a teen girl subconscious about how she looks. A dance class that is mostly women or a running club for women reduces that self-consciousness and can even boost your teen’s self-esteem. If other women can do it, so can she.

* Keep track of progress – This requires setting goals. What she wants to accomplish could be increased self-esteem, weight loss, or toning up. Before you begin, have her weigh herself and take measurements. Each month, recheck the results as there is nothing that motivates more than seeing the results.

* Congratulate her efforts – Even if she is not the most stellar person in the class or on the sports team, don’t hold back on praise for what she has accomplished.

The teen years see a change in body composition for young girls. Boost their self-esteem and their knowledge of self by helping them stay active and take control of their lives.