Benefits of exercise for teenage girls

The World Health Organisation recommends an average of at least 60 minutes per day of moderate- to vigorous-intensity, mostly aerobic, physical activity throughout the week. Vigorous-intensity aerobic activities, along with those that strengthen muscle and bone, should be incorporated at least 3 times per week.

Physical activity in teenage girls can have multiple benefits including:

• Improved self-esteem and self-efficacy [1]
• Positive effects on hormonal modulation for reproductive and metabolic health [3]
• Protection from a range of chronic diseases later in life (e.g. osteoporosis, cancer, cardiovascular, Alzheimer’s etc.) [1]
• Beneficial impact on several health conditions – or associated symptoms – that are more common in, or exclusive to, girls and women (e.g. scoliosis [4], endometriosis [5], and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome [6] management etc.)

Some simple ways to get your teens moving

One of the most important influences on teens participating in regular physical activity is their family and friends’ exercise habits. Simply put, if you are regularly exercising yourself, chances are that your teens will also be more open to regular exercise themselves. Similarly, if your teen’s friends are exercising or playing sport regularly, then the likelihood is your teen will also be engaging.

Possible solution: if you would like your teen to move more, perhaps organising some family moving time is a great way to get everyone up and active? Even if they do not want to join in, you modelling this behaviour can make a difference long-term. And you never know, sometimes they may also want to join.

Another important factor in teens exercising is feeling discomfort during or after a session, and feeling self-conscious. For many teens this has been highlighted as one of the biggest barriers to participation in exercise for both boys and girls. Whilst this feeling has always been prevalent in this age group, particularly now with the rise of fitluencers and aesthetic based approaches to exercise, this factor has become more important to discuss.

Possible solutions

1. Open communication within the family environment about aesthetics may be important. Also, displaying your own self love and confidence can have a huge effect on your teen and how they, in turn, see themselves. By reinforcing time and time again that exercise and movement is around health and wellbeing, and that it is important for everyone, it may help your teen see past the fitfluencer influence.
2. Group activities that do not involve competition may also work really well for your teen. Activities like yoga or Pilates can be great for body awareness and overall wellbeing, without the pressure to compete or be the best.
3. Most importantly, the environment in which your teen exercises can have a huge influence. If building confidence and developing lifelong healthy habits is important for you and your teens, then being in a supportive environment that encourages healthy habits is important. There are some great gyms, Pilates, dance, circus or other studios in the Leuven region that have a great ethos when it comes to exercise for wellbeing and health. So if anyone has questions about this, please feel free to reach out to us for advice.

It is important to note that behaviour change in teenagers is difficult (as we are very certain you are aware of) which is supported by research[7]. What you do have control over though, is your own health habits, and by routinely modelling your own exercise behaviours, the chances are much more likely that, one day, your teen may decide to do the same.

At Waves, we are aware that physical activity in teenagers (or the lack thereof) is a complex topic involving systems within a household, as well as systems within the wider environment, and now also heavily influenced by other factors such as social media. We hope this blog may give you a little food for thought to perhaps start or continue the discussion within your family around physical activity, and highlight the important role of a positive and supportive environment for our teens to move, explore and thrive.

References

1. World Health Organization. (2020). WHO guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. Geneva: World Health Organization.

2. Guthold R, Stevens G, Riley L, Bull F. Global trends in insufficient physical activity among adolescents: a pooled analysis of 298 population-based surveys with 1·6 million participants. The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health 2020, Volume 4, Issue 1, 23 – 35

3. Ramadan, W., Xirouchaki, C. E., & El-Gilany, A.-H. (2025). The Comparative Effects of High-Intensity Interval Training and Traditional Resistance Training on Hormonal Responses in Young Women: A 10-Week Intervention Study. Sports, 13(3), 67. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports13030067

4. Chen Y, Zhang Z, Zhu Q. The effect of an exercise intervention on adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: a network meta-analysis. J Orthop Surg Res. 2023 Sep 4;18(1):655. doi: 10.1186/s13018-023-04137-1. PMID: 37667353; PMCID: PMC10476432.

5. Xie M, Qing X, Huang H, Zhang L, Tu Q, Guo H, Zhang J. The effectiveness and safety of physical activity and exercise on women with endometriosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One. 2025 Feb 13;20(2):e0317820. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0317820. PMID: 39946383; PMCID: PMC11824993.

6. Abdolahian S, Tehrani FR, Amiri M, Ghodsi D, Yarandi RB, Jafari M, Majd HA, Nahidi F. Effect of lifestyle modifications on anthropometric, clinical, and biochemical parameters in adolescent girls with polycystic ovary syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Endocr Disord. 2020 May 19;20(1):71. doi: 10.1186/s12902-020-00552-1. PMID: 32429890; PMCID: PMC7236342.

7. Pearson N, Braithwaite R, Biddle SJ. The effectiveness of interventions to increase physical activity among adolescent girls: a meta-analysis. Acad Pediatr. 2015 Jan-Feb;15(1):9-18. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2014.08.009. Epub 2014 Nov 3. PMID: 25441655.