Weight Lifting and Discipline for Teens

If you are the parent of a "troubled teenager" - you may be at your wits end of what you can do to help them. Many child behavior specialists agree that for a teens with certain behavior problems especially those related to attention deficit or defiance disorders, the routine of a regular exercise regimen can do wonders. Weightlifting can be a perfect activity for this. Weightlifting can help focus a teen's attention. It can teach him or her about setting goals and obtaining them. Weightlifting can give a teen focus, an outlet for stress and other aggressive emotions. Weightlifting in a gym environment can teach teens about cooperation and working with others as they spot for other lifters. Building muscle builds self-esteem and confidence two aspects of personality that experts agree are often found lacking in teens with depression or other problems.

Teens who become involved in weightlifting are more likely to participate in other physical activities. And weightlifting will improve their skills in any other sport you can think of. One teen from Summit New Jersey, who says she started lifting at 14 years old, is now 18 and says she is in "incredible" shape. Her lifting gave her the confidence to start taking lessons in her other passion Jazz Dancing, and has enhanced her skill their many fold. She says weightlifting for teenage girls is great - it can keep them in shape, looking and feeling great, and avoid crazy diets and eating disorders.

Experts say developing the discipline associated with a sport like weightlifting can teach teens the importance of keeping their bodies fit and minds mentally alert and can provide a good instructional model for avoiding drug or alcohol abuse. A teen who works with a personal trainer that teaches them to respect their body, is far less likely to abuse it. The importance of having your teen, especially if he or she is seeking the therapeutic effects of weightlifting work with a professional personal trainer cannot be understated. If there is a "dark side" to teens and weightlifting it is that there have been abuse of anabolic steroids by teens who want to grow faster and get bigger. The best way to avoid this to be sure your youth works with a responsible and certified personal trainer.

Of course as your teen becomes a weightlifter he or she will experince all of the physical benefits of weightlifting, and not just an improved outlook on life. Besides the other obvious physical benefits of improved strength and muscle tone, a recent study found that the incidence of diabetes is on the rise in teens. According to a study conducted by The University of California, teens at risk of diabetes could significantly lower that risk through weightlifting and strength training exercises. In people who are overweight especially teens, insulin resistance is a precursor to diabetes. Insulin resistance is when the body does not process insulin properly. The study followed teenage boys who lifted weights twice a week for 16 weeks and concluded that there incidence of insulin resistance was drastically reduced. Of course the study found in the same group of boys that the weightlifting also increased lean muscle mass and decreased body fat percentage.

Author : Deon Melchior
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