Why Are Today’s Teens So “Lazy”?
A new study indicates that teens aren’t physically as active as adults over age 60 today. Here’s why and how we can encourage youth to get moving again.
The Trouble with Modern Living
Due to our modern lifestyles, our bodies are moving fewer. As anyone involved in fitness knows, if you don’t use it, you lose it. People are becoming less able to move, work, and do the things that were once common a few generations ago.
In other words, teenagers may not move much on a day-to-day basis. But they do not know that. So they do what’s required of them on most days. And when they go to do something physical, they may find it far more challenging than expected. Because of this, the teen might find the entire experience frustrating rather than enjoyable.
The Trend Toward Less Movement
And while it’s easy to say that this is a problem with today’s kids, the truth is that our society has been trending this way for a long time.
Improve Alignment to Boost Activity
If you want a kid to have better health, you can’t just tell them, ‘Oh, you gotta do something besides sitting behind that computer screen,’ because all that will do is cause conflict. Instead, you have to meet them where they are. Use their values and vocabularies to help them realize the problem, and see the solution.
Our suggestion is to start with simple classes where your kids can have fun. Courses such as Zumba or hip-hop are available to all ages of kids, as well as to adults and teens.