Getting Teens Involved in Running

If you’re keen to encourage teens to do more exercise and fitness, then running is a good option. Here we take a look at why teens can benefit from running how to encourage them to give it a go.

Why Get Teens Involved in Running?

Running is one of the most accessible forms of exercise. It’s free to do, doesn’t involve lots of expensive equipment and you can run almost anywhere, whether you live in a town, city or the countryside.

Of course, it does help to wear comfortable and appropriate footwear, but even a pair of running shoes needn’t necessarily be expensive for teens, as they can be purchased in sales or when they’re on offer (even the cool and trendy footwear!).

Running is something that teens can do on their own – although depending on the area in which they’re running, it may be better to run in pairs, groups or join a running group – and it’s an activity that siblings and parents can join in with too. For teens who have a lot of energy, running is a perfect way of letting off steam and using some of it up, whilst also building up their fitness levels too.

What Are the Benefits of Running?

Running gets teens outside in the fresh air, which is beneficial for their health in numerous ways, and it gets blood pumping around the body and helps burn fat and calories.

Getting involved in running on a regular basis provides a great for physical health, but it can help teens develop increased body confidence too. Achieving new running goals, such as a personal best time or being able to run for a certain distance is a real confidence booster and can help teens feel a lot better about their own abilities, especially those who may be lacking in self-esteem.

How to Get Teens Involved in Running

Most teens should have been involved in some degree of running at school. Even if they’ve not been that enamoured by school cross country, if they enjoy sports and exercise, then you may want to promote the idea of having a go at running out of school.

There are a lot of charity running events that take place each year and some of them are prefect for mums and daughters to do together, which can be a good introduction to how fun running can be.

If you’re not madly into the idea of running yourself, then there are lots of running clubs that welcome new members and they can be a great source of support and encouragement for teens. It’s especially good as they get to run with other people and you can ensure they will be safe whilst exercising.

If they prefer to run on their own basis, then setting running goals, such as running 2K, 5K or 10K, or running for 3 times a week, can be a positive way of giving them something to aim for.

Being able to run is a great skill to have, is good fun and has a multitude of health benefits to boot, so if you can get your teens involved in running, you can be sure there are benefits to gain!

See Also
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Encouraging Participation in ‘Life Sports’
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The Importance of Exercise for Kids