Guest Author - Shanita Alexander

Many teenage girls complain about exercising. It may seem like hard work or just boring, but exercising has many benefits. It can lift your mood when you feel down, increase your strength and energy, help you sleep, improve how you feel about yourself, keep your body strong , help you keep a healthy weight and make your body look better and more toned. It can also aid in prevention of serious illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes. Not to mention it can be lots of fun!

Try to exercise moderately for at least 60 minutes most days of the week. Start out slow and build up as you go along. Every little bit counts when you're just starting out so you may want to go for a short walk or bike ride a few times a day. In addition to being active everyday, you should also try to spend 20 to 30 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity at least 2 times a week. Most school sports are aerobic so that should give you a chance to get plenty of exercise several times a week. Tennis, soccer, basketball, volleyball or cross-county running are some good examples of aerobic sports. Some examples of aerobic exercise include walking, jogging, skate boarding, biking, skating, swimming, dancing and taking aerobic classes. For help getting started, look into sport activities at your school or check with your local community or recreation center.

Being flexible makes it easier to do many activities and also decreases the risk of you getting hurt. If you stretch before and after exercise, you will not be as sore. You can do simple stretches before and after aerobic activities too. Yoga is a good activity that improves your flexibility, it also improves strength and balance. In addition, many people who practice yoga say that it reduces anxiety and stress, improve mental clarity and even help them sleep better.

Pay attention to how your body feels. Getting really tired, becoming out of breath or being too sore the next day may be warning signs. A good way to know if you're working out too hard (or not hard enough) is the “talk-sing test”. If you can talk while working out, you are moving at a pace that is good for you. If you are too breathless to talk, slow down. If you can sing, pick up the pace. Before beginning any exercise routine, you should ask your health care provider, coach or physical education teacher. Also, make sure your parents are aware of how much exercising you're doing. Teens can sometimes overdue do it. Remember, it's very important to always drink water before, during and after exercise. And never exercise outdoors if it's really hot and humid.