Setting Personal Fitness Goals for Teens

With all of the pressure these days to be thin, many teens – both boys and girls – develop eating disorders which can be dangerous. That’s why it is so important for teens to set personal fitness goals in such a way that they can attain and maintain a healthy weight. But if these goals aren’t thought out very well, or if they are unhealthy, they could backfire. Here are some ways you can help your teens set goals to help them stay healthy.

Set Small Goals
When teens set personal fitness goals, they often have lofty goals that are generally unattainable. They might try to lose a lot of weight in a short amount of time which can be dangerous. As a result, they often give up on their goals. But if you can help your teen create small and attainable goals, they have less of a chance of becoming discouraged and burned out in trying to achieve a healthy weight. Make sure your teens try to achieve smaller benchmarks for a larger overall goal for maximum results.

Keeping a Journal 
One way that your teen can achieve their personal fitness goals is to keep a journal. This should be a record of their daily activities and food intake. Most people don’t know what they are eating throughout the day until they start writing it down and reviewing it each day. It’s also easy to overestimate your daily activities until you write it down and look at it regularly. You can help your teen evaluate their journals and help them make changes where necessary to help them maintain a healthy weight and get in better shape.

Make it a Family Affair
Your teens will have a better chance of creating and maintaining healthy eating and exercise habits if you get the entire family involved. If they see you eating junk food and not exercising while they are trying to get in shape, they are going to get discouraged. You can lead by example to help your teens reach their personal fitness goals more effectively and efficiently.

Maintaining a healthy weight is harder than ever these days. There is a great deal of peer pressure to be skinny and this can create even more problems than they solve. Encourage your teen to be comfortable the way they are while still striving to eat a balanced diet and maintain a level of activity that promotes healthy living.