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Lean Teen is an interactive community of young people, learning how to achieve better health and fitness, while enjoying awesome activites, competitions, and a supportive community.

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Fitness Yoga

The Lean Teen Challenge

Goal

Improve health, fitness, and quality of life for teens through physical activity and proper nutrition practices.

Why Is Physical Activity Important?

Regular physical activity can improve the health and quality of life of teens, regardless of the presence of a chronic disease or disability. Experts recommend that teens get 60 minutes or more of moderate to vigorous physical activity each day. Cardio exercise has many benefits, the most important being strengthening the heart. Lean Teen teaches that cardiovascular exercise is a very important part of any exercise program.

Understanding Physical Activity

Personal, social, economic, and environmental factors all play a role in physical activity levels among teens. Understanding the barriers to and facilitators of physical activity is important to ensure the effectiveness of interventions and other actions to improve levels of physical activity.

The Lean Teen Challenge will give teens the tools to create and maintain a life-long fitness program. Our wide variety of fitness options presents numerous ways to motivate and keep teens interested and on track throughout the 12-week program.

  • PILATES
  • CARDIO
  • YOGA
  • CALISTHENITICS
  • STRETCHING
  • COORDINATION
  • BALANCE

Rewards and Benefits

Exercise benefits every part of the body, including the mind. Exercising causes the body to produce endorphins, chemicals that can help a person to feel more peaceful and happy. Exercise can help some people sleep better. It can also help some people who have mild depression and low self-esteem. Plus, exercise can give people a real sense of accomplishment and pride at having achieved a certain goal — like beating an old time in the 100-meter dash.

Exercising can help you look better. People who exercise burn more calories and look more toned than those who don't. In fact, exercise is one of the most important parts of keeping your body at a healthy weight.

Exercise helps people lose weight and lower the risk of some diseases. Exercising to maintain a healthy weight decreases a person's risk of developing certain diseases, including type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. These diseases, which used to be found mostly in adults, are becoming more common in teens.

Exercise can help a person age well. This may not seem important now, but your body will thank you later. Women are especially prone to a condition called osteoporosis (a weakening of the bones) as they get older. Studies have found that weight-bearing exercise, like jumping, running or brisk walking, can help girls (and guys!) keep their bones strong.

The three components to a well-balanced exercise routine are: aerobic exercise, strength training, and flexibility training.

In addition to the benefits listed above, physical activity can also:

  • Improve bone health.
  • Improve cardio respiratory and muscular fitness.
  • Decrease levels of body fat.
  • Reduce symptoms of depression.