Teenage girls - getting them active

Most girls reduce their rate of physical activity once they reach the teen years. In primary school, the rate of physical activity is about the same for boys and girls. This explains why the incidence of female overweight and obesity tends to double during adolescence, even though eating habits may remain the same.

An overweight teenager is likely to become an overweight adult who risks obesity-related conditions such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. A teenage girl’s level of physical activity has a direct influence on her weight.

Rewards of physical activity
Some of the many benefits of regular physical activity for teenage girls include:

• Increased strength, stamina and flexibility
• Weight management
• Decreased incidence of stress and depression
• Increased self-esteem
• Positive body image
• Social skills including learning how to work in a team.

• Physically inactive parents who model sedentary behaviours
• Lack of energy due to poor physical fitness
• The myth that you can’t be ‘feminine’ and play sport
• Peer pressure, such as having friends who don’t exercise or play sport
• Lack of basic skills (such as throwing and catching a ball)
• Fear of feeling incompetent on the field
• Fear of looking silly in front of other people, especially peers
• Fear of being teased or mocked by other players for being unskilled
• Previous bad experiences during physical education class (such as teasing from peers)
• Embarrassment about wearing sporting uniforms (such as bathers or short skirts).

• Talk about it – ask what bothers her about exercise. Understanding the reasons why your daughter avoids exercise is important because it can help you discuss possible solutions. For example, if she is shy of revealing her body, don’t suggest that she try swimming. Instead, pick an activity that can be performed wearing tracksuit pants and a t-shirt.
• Be a role model – exercise yourself, if you don’t already. Show her how keeping fit is fun and rewarding. Girls who have physically active parents are much more likely to exercise.
• Watch women’s sports – attend sporting matches together or watch on television. Show her that sport isn’t a male domain.
• Teach the skills – explain the rules and jargon of different sports. Help her practise physical skills such as throwing and catching a ball.
• Have fun – inactive girls tend to think of exercise as boring hard work. Try to show her that exercise can be fun. Experiment with pleasurable activities such as dance or rollerblading.
• Keep it simple – emphasise-that physical activity is not just sport or going to the gym and that it doesn’t need to be a structured activity. It can be integrated into daily routines through walking, using stairs, walking the dog, cycling and so on.

• Build exercise into your family routine. For example, weekend activities could include bushwalking or throwing a frisbee on the beach.
• Invite her to exercise with you. Go for a walk together or enrol in a class that appeals to both of you.
• Discover her potential interests. For example, if she likes watching tennis on television, perhaps she would like to take a few lessons herself.
• Talk to the school’s physical education teacher or contact your local council for information on physical activities in your neighbourhood. Alternatively, you could browse through the Better Health Channel’s Activity finder to find local exercise classes.
• Try out different things. Most clubs (such as gyms or dance schools) offer the first class for free. This can help you to experiment with activities that may appeal to your daughter.
• Help her to find the time to be physically active. You might like to go through her school diary together and block out free time.
• Talk to her friends and their parents and suggest that some of the girls enrol in an activity (such as a dance class) at the same time. This social element will help to boost the ‘fun factor’ and encourage enthusiasm for regular exercise.
• Consider involving her in same-sex rather than co-ed physical activities. Teenage girls are keenly aware of boys. In a co-ed class, your daughter may worry that the boys are judging her body or her sporting skills, which may dampen her enthusiasm for the activity.

• Your doctor
• The school’s physical education (PE) teacher
• Other parents
• Local council
• Neighbourhood gym
• Smartplay Tel. (03) 9654 7733
• Sports Medicine Australia Tel. (02) 6230 4650
• ‘Go for your life’ Infoline Tel. 1300 739 899
• BHC Activity finder

• Rates of female overweight and obesity tend to double during adolescence.
• Teenage girls need about one hour of exercise or physical activity each day.
• Show her that exercise can be fun – experiment with pleasurable activities such as dance or rollerblading.

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