Importance Of Strength Training For Teenagers: Benefits Beyond Muscles

Balancing Academics and Fitness: Tips for Busy Teens

Strength training, also known as resistance training or weight training, involves physical activities and exercises involving the use of one's own body weight, equipment, or machines, to build endurance, strength, and muscles. Though initially, they were deemed as too difficult for kids, it has been suggested that active teenagers may begin strength training for a range of health benefits, fitness, and improved social image.

But your teen cannot just walk into a gym and begin lifting weights. It is ideal to introduce your kids to exercise and warmups early on so that their posture is ready to move on to strength training when they are teenagers. And if your active kid is already into sports or gymnastics, it is ideal to have them practice multiple reps of body weight-based exercises or move on to resistance bands. But how will you convince your kids to get more involved in strength training, at least 2 to 3 times a week, if they do not know its benefits beyond muscles? Here is a comprehensive list of the health benefits of strength training other than building muscle mass.

Benefits Of Strength Training Beyond Muscles

1. Reduces Abdominal Fat

Visceral fat in the abdomen is associated with a higher risk of chronic and lifestyle diseases like heart disease, diabetes, obesity, non-alcoholic fatty liver, and even some cancers. Strength training has a good track record of reducing abdominal as well as overall fat in teens. So, if your teen got a little chubby during puberty, now is the right time to involve them in strength training.

2. Lowers Risk Of Injuries

Strength training is essential for your teenage athlete’s exercise routine as it reduces the risk of sports injuries. Since resistance training improves your teen’s strength, range of joint motion, and flexibility of muscles, tendons, and ligaments, it also helps correct muscular imbalances and incorrect posture injuries.

3. Improves Heart Health

Regular resistance training reduces blood pressure, lowers bad cholesterol levels, improves blood circulation, and strengthens blood vessels and heart muscles. Since strength training offers so many health benefits and prevents heart disease, it is ideal to make each session an hour long thrice a week. Begin small, with 20 to 30 minutes, and gradually increase time.

4. Promotes Greater Mobility And Balance

Strength training improves your teenager’s sense of balance and lowers the risk of falling. This is a result of your child’s increased capacity to support its muscles and skeletal framework, thanks to strength training. And since strength training increases joint range of motion, or the complete flexibility of a joint without sacrificing your form, it also improves your athletic teen’s mobility and flexibility.

5. Boosts Self-Esteem

Strength training greatly improves your teen’s self-esteem as they not only overcome and maintain physical goals but also work towards them every day, instilling a sense of fulfillment. Also, your teen’s satisfaction with their own physique and appearance is essential for social success and self-confidence.

6. Improves Bone Strength

Strength training is essential for bone development in active teenagers. While engaging in it, the temporary burden of weights sends a message to bones, which enables them to rebuild bones stronger. As a result, such teens have a healthy skeletal system with little chance of fractures and osteoporosis.

7. Enhances Mood And Brain Health

Teenagers who engage in strength training are at a lower risk of age-related cognitive decline with improved brain health, processing speed, memory, learning, and neuroprotection. Also, regular weight training promotes the release of mood-boosting endorphins that reduce anxiety and increase positivity.

8. Keeps Lifestyle Diseases At Bay

Strength training, using weight or equipment, is ideal for keeping several lifestyle diseases at bay. Heart diseases, diabetes, obesity, and more stay away when your teens engage in strength training and eat well at home, with little or zero fast food.

Tips To Keep In Mind For Strength Training Of Teenagers

1. Never let them practice unsupervised. Perhaps only a handful of teenagers are responsible enough to be left alone. Otherwise, most must keep an eye on them to ensure they do not get injured due to their own folly or pride.
2. Make them understand the importance of quality over quantity. Until they become seasoned athletes or exercise regularly, their mantra should be more accurate postures and exercise repetition, with less focus on increasing weights or trying ‘cool’ machines.
3. If your child has just turned into a teenager and has previously been into sports and exercise, inculcate strength training sparsely for a few days into their schedule before going full throttle. If it is their first time, take it slow but steady.
4. Strength training should be done on alternate days to ensure your teens get adequate rest and recovery time. Be strict, but do not push them beyond their limits. Let them have adequate rest as and when required.

Conclusion

Since teenagers nowadays are smarter than smartphones, having a comfortable and open conversation regarding exercise and strength training is ideal, highlighting its benefits and importance before beginning. This quick guide will help them see beyond muscles and the bigger picture, which is their healthy future.