{"id":53813,"date":"2025-07-31T18:02:40","date_gmt":"2025-07-31T15:02:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/findmykids.org\/blog\/?p=53813"},"modified":"2026-03-16T16:44:42","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T13:44:42","slug":"how-much-exercise-teens-need","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/findmykids.org\/blog\/en\/how-much-exercise-teens-need","title":{"rendered":"How Much Exercise Do Teens Really Need?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The teen years are full of\u00a0change, physically, emotionally, and socially. It\u2019s a\u00a0time of\u00a0growth, pressure, and shifting routines. That\u2019s why regular physical activity is\u00a0especially important: it\u00a0boosts health, sharpens focus, and helps teens feel more confident and in\u00a0control.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s what the science says about how much movement teens need, and how to\u00a0make it\u00a0part of\u00a0everyday life.<\/p>\n<h2>Why Movement Matters for Teens<\/h2>\n<p>Between ages 13\u00a0and\u00a017, bodies are changing fast, and so\u00a0is\u00a0life. There\u2019s more schoolwork, more screen time, and less natural movement throughout the day. Hormonal shifts can affect mood, energy levels, and sleep.<\/p>\n<p>Teens often deal with stress, self-doubt, and fatigue. Regular movement can help. It\u00a0reduces anxiety, improves mood, and supports better sleep. It\u00a0also helps with concentration, memory, and staying focused in\u00a0school.<\/p>\n<h2>Recommended Activity Levels for Teens<\/h2>\n<p>According to\u00a0the World Health Organization, teens ages 13\u00a0to\u00a017\u00a0should:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: left; width: 100%;\">\n<li>Get at\u00a0least 60\u00a0minutes of\u00a0moderate to\u00a0vigorous physical activity every day<\/li>\n<li>Include muscle- and bone-strengthening exercises at\u00a0least 3\u00a0times a\u00a0week<\/li>\n<li>Spend as\u00a0little time sitting as\u00a0possible, especially in\u00a0front of\u00a0screens<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Everyday Ways to\u00a0Get Moving<\/h2>\n<p>Being active doesn\u2019t have to\u00a0mean playing sports or\u00a0hitting the gym. Even without formal workouts, teens can build movement into their routine, especially if\u00a0it\u2019s something they enjoy.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Try things like:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul style=\"text-align: left; width: 100%;\">\n<li>Walking\u2014to school, with friends, or\u00a0just to\u00a0relax<\/li>\n<li>Riding a\u00a0bike or\u00a0scooter<\/li>\n<li>Taking the stairs instead of\u00a0the elevator<\/li>\n<li>Jogging or\u00a0light workouts outside<\/li>\n<li>Playing soccer, basketball, or\u00a0volleyball<\/li>\n<li>Tennis or\u00a0table tennis<\/li>\n<li>Dancing, parkour, or\u00a0choreography<\/li>\n<li>At-home workouts or\u00a0gym visits<\/li>\n<li>Helping around the house\u2014cleaning counts!<\/li>\n<li>Gardening or\u00a0yard work<\/li>\n<li>Hikes and walks in\u00a0parks or\u00a0nature\u2014solo or\u00a0with friends and family<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>What Gets in\u00a0the Way\u2014and How to\u00a0Support Teens<\/h2>\n<p>Sometimes teens don\u2019t feel like being active. They might be\u00a0tired, unsure of\u00a0themselves, too busy, or\u00a0just uninterested. That\u2019s okay.<\/p>\n<p>What helps isn\u2019t pressure\u2014it\u2019s support. Find something they truly enjoy. It\u00a0doesn\u2019t have to\u00a0be\u00a0traditional exercise. It\u00a0might be\u00a0walking with music, biking to\u00a0a\u00a0coffee shop, or\u00a0dancing in\u00a0their room.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2800<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Parents can lead by\u00a0example, but without pushing. Suggest activities, try things together, and stay open. Movement isn\u2019t about grades or\u00a0goals. It\u2019s about energy, freedom, and taking care of\u00a0yourself.<\/p>\n<h2>References:<\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: left; width: 100%;\">\n<li><a  rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/physical-activity-education\/guidelines\/index.html\"\" rel=\"nofollow\">Physical Activity Guidelines for School\u2011Aged Children and Adolescents<\/a>, U.S. Department of\u00a0Health and Human Services, CDC, 2024<\/li>\n<li><a  rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/live-well\/exercise\/physical-activity-guidelines-children-and-young-people\/\"\" rel=\"nofollow\">Physical activity guidelines for children and young people<\/a>, NHS, \u0412\u0435\u043b\u0438\u043a\u043e\u0431\u0440\u0438\u0442\u0430\u043d\u0438\u044f, 2021<\/li>\n<li><a  rel=\"nofollow\" href=\"https:\/\/ijbnpa.biomedcentral.com\/articles\/10.1186\/s12966-020-01037-z\"\" rel=\"nofollow\">2020\u00a0WHO guidelines on\u00a0physical activity and sedentary behaviour<\/a>, World Health Organization, 2020<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\t\t<div class=\"wpulike wpulike-default \" ><div class=\"wp_ulike_general_class wp_ulike_is_not_liked\"><button type=\"button\"\n\t\t\t\t\taria-label=\"Like Button\"\n\t\t\t\t\tdata-ulike-id=\"53813\"\n\t\t\t\t\tdata-ulike-nonce=\"942797d7e2\"\n\t\t\t\t\tdata-ulike-type=\"likeThis\"\n\t\t\t\t\tdata-ulike-template=\"wpulike-default\"\n\t\t\t\t\tdata-ulike-display-likers=\"0\"\n\t\t\t\t\tdata-ulike-disable-pophover=\"0\"\n\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"wp_ulike_btn wp_ulike_put_image wp_likethis_53813\"><\/button><\/div><\/div>\n\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The teen years are full of\u00a0change, physically, emotionally, and socially. It\u2019s a\u00a0time of\u00a0growth, pressure, and&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":53781,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"layf_related_links":[""],"layf_exclude_from_feed":["1"],"classic-editor-remember":["classic-editor"],"_edit_lock":["1773668578:1"],"_edit_last":["1"],"_thumbnail_id":["53781"],"mpulseenable_meta_value":["no"],"yzcategory_meta_value":["\u0414\u043e\u043c"],"yzrating_meta_value":["\u041d\u0435\u0442 (\u043d\u0435 \u0434\u043b\u044f \u0432\u0437\u0440\u043e\u0441\u043b\u044b\u0445)"],"yzrssenabled_meta_value":["no"],"saswp_custom_schema_field":[""],"_s2mail":["yes"],"hide-in-popular":[""],"_hide-in-popular":["field_5d0c8a5b4fde2"],"\u0430\u0432\u0442\u043e\u0440":["\u0412\u0430\u0441\u0438\u043b\u0438\u0439 \u0421\u043c\u0438\u0440\u043d\u043e\u0432"],"_\u0430\u0432\u0442\u043e\u0440":["field_5e33cab3984d1"],"\u0444\u043e\u0442\u043e":[""],"_\u0444\u043e\u0442\u043e":["field_5e33cbc1984d2"],"custom_title":[""],"_custom_title":["field_67cfbde67c007"],"custom_image":[""],"_custom_image":["field_67d012de223ac"],"custom_alt":[""],"_custom_alt":["field_67d012f6223ad"],"read_more":[""],"_read_more":["field_67d0130e223ae"],"_aioseo_title":[null],"_aioseo_description":[null],"_aioseo_keywords":[""],"_aioseo_og_title":[null],"_aioseo_og_description":[null],"_aioseo_og_article_section":[""],"_aioseo_og_article_tags":[""],"_aioseo_twitter_title":[null],"_aioseo_twitter_description":[null],"_ez-toc-disabled":[""],"_ez-toc-insert":[""],"_ez-toc-header-label":[""],"_ez-toc-device-target":[""],"_ez-toc-alignment":["none"],"_ez-toc-heading-levels":["a:0:{}"],"_ez-toc-alttext":[""],"_ez-toc-visibility_hide_by_default":[""],"_ez-toc-hide_counter":[""],"_ez-toc-exclude":[""],"_ez-toc-word_count_limit":["0"],"_ez-toc-position-specific":[""]},"categories":[668],"tags":[],"language":[3],"acf":{"custom_title":"","custom_image":"","custom_alt":"","read_more":""},"aioseo_notices":[],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/cdn-blog.findmykids.org\/2025\/07\/Skolko-dolzhen-dvigatsya-podrostok-po-nauke_1200x640_statya.png","author_info":{"display_name":"The Findmykids Editorial Team","author_link":"https:\/\/findmykids.org\/blog\/ru\/author\/find-my-kids"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/cdn-blog.findmykids.org\/2025\/07\/Skolko-dolzhen-dvigatsya-podrostok-po-nauke_1200x640_statya.png","reading_time":"2","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/findmykids.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53813"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/findmykids.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/findmykids.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/findmykids.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/findmykids.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=53813"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/findmykids.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53813\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":53815,"href":"https:\/\/findmykids.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53813\/revisions\/53815"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/findmykids.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/53781"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/findmykids.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=53813"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/findmykids.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=53813"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/findmykids.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=53813"},{"taxonomy":"language","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/findmykids.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/language?post=53813"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}