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A Workout For Teens May Help Young Adults Fit In Socially More Than Text Messaging DoesHaving A Healthy Teenage Body Now Not Only Builds Confidence, But Goes A Long Way In Staying Healthier As An AdultA Pilates workout for teens is probably not what your teen was thinking of when they decided to get fit. Pilates workout for teens? You bet. The time to gain strength, flexibility and that great feeling of well-being is now when they’re young. Teens these days, as you might already know, are under a great deal of pressure to succeed at school both academically and socially. Add into that an unhealthy dose of TV watching, text messaging, web surfing and IM-ing, and you are setting yourself to be an unhealthy teen and most likely an unhealthy adult. A Pilates workout for teens can be a first step towards more energy, a positive outlook, and a stronger more flexible body. And Pilates is fun! Once you’ve made the decision to give Pilates a try, the very best thing you can do is get in touch with a qualified Pilates instructor. If you’d rather start at home, a good DVD is the answer. I recently saw a Pilates DVD geared directly to teens. BeeTwixt, a company dedicated to reversing the trend of overweight teens, produces it. It’s a really good product. It’s hosted, performed, and narrated by teens. The Pilates exercises are given slowly and with control. There is also cool music and the occasional pop-ups geared towards a teen’s mindset. Learning Pilates from a DVD is often difficult, but this one might be a good choice for this age group. A Pilates workout for teens is really no different than a workout for an adult, so they can begin with the same warm-up and progress through the same series of exercises. Here are a few mat work exercises to get you started: • The Hundred: Lie on your back with your knees on top of your chest arms stretched at your sides. Roll your head, chest, and shoulders off the mat so that you are raised up on your shoulder blades. Extend your legs long and as low as you can while still keeping your lower back on the mat. Lift your arms 6 inches and quickly pump them up and down five times while inhaling then exhale while pumping your arms five times. Repeat 10 times to make 100 counts of breath. Tip: Keep pulling your navel in towards your spine and keep your belly flat while breathing. • The Roll Up: Lie on your back with your legs straight on the mat, legs together and feet flexed, arms stretched overhead. Inhale to lift your arms to the ceiling, exhale to reach your arms forward. Roll your head, shoulders and spine off the mat one vertebra at a time until you are over your hips, fingers reaching forward past your feet. Inhale to begin your roll down, exhale to roll all the way back to your starting position. Repeat 5-8 times. Tip: Try to keep shoulders down all the way through and continue to work your abs at all times. • Rolling Like A Ball: Sit up tall and pull your ankles in towards your bottom. With your hands holding your ankles, bring your head towards your knees and lift your feet off the ground so you are balancing on your sit bones and creating the letter “c” with your spine. Inhale, tighten your core and slowly roll backward through your spine until your shoulders have touched the ground, being careful not to roll on your neck. Exhale; roll back up again, like a ball! Use your core for stability. Start with a sequence of 5 and then slowly increase as your abdominal muscles strengthen. Tip: Use your breath to help the movement. Keep your heels close to your bottom through out the exercise. These sample mat exercises are a great starting point for all Pilates workouts for teens. A Pilates workout for teens should contain a warm up and a cool down and try to work as many different muscle groups as possible. Pilates will help you to achieve all your goals and set you up for a healthy and active life.
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