Let’s Get Physical
Look and feel your best by boosting your fitness
IQ.
by Eric Small, MD
TWEENS & TEENS News October
2007
School’s back in session and it’s
time to ramp up your “A Game.” Walking
around the building, participating in gym class,
playing on the field and cheering from the stands
incorporate exercise in your days at school.
But, what exactly is physical fitness and how
do you grab it by the horns?
In becoming physically fit, it’s important
to eat well and embrace an active lifestyle.
For starters, let’s break down physical
fitness by discussing six key components—
aerobic fitness, anaerobic fitness, muscle strength,
flexibility, balance and body composition.
Boost the Blood Flow: Aerobic Fitness
Aerobic fitness is continuous activity lasting
20 minutes or longer. This includes heart/lung
or cardiovascular fitness that helps our blood
to efficiently deliver oxygen to our muscles.
We all know how important oxygen is!
How do you boost blood flow? Exercising for
a minimum of 20 minutes three times per week
for two to three months is a sure bet to increase
your aerobic fitness. It’s also important
to know your target heart rate while exercising.
To determine this for moderate and severe
exercising, subtract your age from the number
225. Multiply that number by 70-80 percent
and you will know your target heart rate.
Who said math classes wouldn’t come
in handy?
Consider these tips to help you maximize your
workout sessions: Be sure to include a five
to ten minute warm-up before you exercise.
Jumping jacks are a fun way to loosen your
muscles and lighten your mood. Gentle stretching
should follow warm-ups. Stretching is also
a great way to make your muscles happy after
being crunched into a desk all day!
When starting an exercise program, do activities
every other day. The body often shows signs
of soreness the day following exercise. But,
after two to three months, doing the same
run or walk will become easier. Once this
happens, perhaps increase the amount of time,
distance or pace of your exercise to keep
challenging yourself.
What activities are good for increasing aerobic
fitness? Biking, walking, jogging, skiing,
swimming and in-line skating are great ways
to boost the blood flow.
Burst into Action: Anaerobic Fitness
Anaerobic fitness is intense, concentrated
exercise that takes place in bursts lasting
60 seconds or less. Repeatedly practicing
a specific activity rather than a mixture
of activities improves anaerobic fitness,
which builds muscle and prevents fatigue.
Running and swimming sprints are terrific
examples of anaerobic activity. After all,
who doesn’t enjoy a quick race with
buddies? Timing yourself to see how many sit-ups
or push-ups you can do in a minute is another
great exercise. This type of fitness is sometimes
called speed training.
Several anaerobic fitness activities can be
done at school or on your own. Basketball,
soccer, lacrosse, gymnastics and figure skating
let you spend time with your friends while
improving your health.
Pump it Up: Muscle Strength
Muscle strength is often achieved through
weight training, such as using one’s
weight, a resistance band or a free weight
in combination with movement.
To improve your muscle strength, you should
do weight training or resistance training
two to three times a week for three months.
Want to maintain your relationships while
you exercise? Hit the gym with friends to
catch up on news!
You’ll see the greatest improvements—
up to 50 percent— in muscle strength
following puberty. However, don’t worry
if you haven’t hit that mark yet. Muscle
strength can be improved at any age.
Lifting weights is the most common way to
pump up your strength.
Stretch it Out: Flexibility
Flexibility is defined as the ability to move
muscles. When people undergo a growth spurt,
the bones lengthen and muscles and tendons
become tighter. Pains around joints, like
in the heels, are normal.
Repeated stretching helps to extend flexibility.
A good stretch is twisting gently from side
to side with your hands on your hips.
Keep it Steady: Balance
Balance is crucial for sports performance.
There are two types of balance: static and
dynamic. Static balance is delicate and motionless,
such as holding a dancer’s pose. Dynamic
balance involves movement and change, such
as dribbling a basketball down the court.
Whether walking down the hall or charging
down the track, a little balance goes a long
way!
How do I improve my balance? Static balance
is easily improved by standing on one foot
three to four times a day for 20 seconds.
Try doing this once with your eyes closed
and another time with your eyes open. Dynamic
balance is enhanced by doing one-legged and
two-legged jumps and landing appropriately.
Build it Up: Body Composition
Body composition is how one’s body is
made up of muscle, fat and bone. Many teens
are concerned with fat content in the abdomen,
hips and buttocks. It’s important to
note that people often have hereditary predispositions
for the fat content in these areas. No two
people have the same shape, and understanding
this can often improve self-esteem.
By increasing aerobic activity and performing
specific exercises targeting certain body
parts, you can decrease and tone your fat
content.
Education You Can Eat
Now that you’ve aced physical fitness,
don’t forget about tackling proper nutrition
for extra credit. As a growing and active
adolescent, you should eat four to five times
per day.
Jump start your day with breakfast. Opt for
granola bars, cheese sticks, peanut butter
on whole wheat toast and yogurt mixed with
raisins and berries.
Looking for something healthy before the big
game? Pregame meals should be low in fat and
high in protein and carbohydrates. Sandwiches,
such as peanut butter and jelly, turkey or
chicken, and fruit eaten two hours before
the game are good choices.
You should consume a healthy meal within one
hour of working out. It’s important
to feed your muscles to replace lost energy.
Think about a meal high in protein and carbohydrates.
It’s also fine to consume fats such
as those found in red meat.
With enhanced fitness and nutrition, you’ll
likely enjoy a boost in your confidence. Plus,
these habits of eating well, staying active
and maintaining empowering relationships are
crucial to a holistic you. Now it’s
time to look and feel your best!
Eric Small, M.D., author of Kids and
Sports (Newmarket Press), is a nationally
recognized expert in pediatric/adolescent
sports medicine. He serves as spokesperson
for the Triple Play program. Underwritten
by The Coca-Cola Company and Kraft, the complete
program is available in Boys & Girls Clubs
across the nation. For home use, download
highlights of the program at www.bgca.org,
www.makeeverydropcount.com and www.kraft.com.
