A Balanced Approach

• Possible exercise routines you can develop for an overweight teenager are endless, but there are some important guidelines to keep in mind. To effectively promote weight loss and overall fitness, you want to vary the types of exercise your teen is getting.
  
  Aerobic exercise is important for burning calories. Teens should get at least 60 minutes of aerobic exercise a day on most days. You also want to encourage your teen to do strength training, stretching and interval training. Strength training builds and strengthens muscles. A greater muscle-to-fat ratio in the body increases the teen's metabolism and can help him shed pounds more easily. Exercises that improve flexibility and balance can make your teen's workout sessions more comfortable and help to prevent injuries. In interval training, your teen gets his heart rate up higher than he would with aerobics and holds it there for one to two minutes. Then he rests to recover his breath, usually for three to five minutes. Most interval training involves three to four repetitions of exertion and then rest. This type of training helps the body to burn calories and strengthens the heart and lungs.
  
  By taking a varied approach you can help your teen to lose weight at a steady and healthy pace while also helping him to build greater fitness.
  
  

Make it Fun

• Teenage resistance and apathy is your biggest problem to overcome. If your teenager doesn't want to be more physically active, you'll have a hard time making her do it. You can overcome her resistance by making workouts fun.
  
  One way to make workouts fun is to set them to music. Encourage your teen to make a playlist for her iPod that she can listen to when she works out.
  
  The type of workout can have an impact on how much fun it is and whether your teenager decides to participate. Try dance classes, rock-climbing, trail-running or martial arts for workouts that are different and more engaging than just going for a jog.
  
  If your teen doesn't want to do strength training, design a circuit training routine for her. This type of workout combines strength-training and aerobics for a fast-paced, fun workout. Your teen might do 10 squats and then sprint to the end of the block and back. Next she might do some bicep curls with small dumbbells followed by a round of jumping jacks.
  
  Another way to decrease resistance is to plan family workouts. You don't even have to call them workouts. Just make it a point to go for a bike ride after dinner. Plan a weekend hike or a pick-up game of basketball. Or join an exercise class with your teen.
  
  

Enlist Input and Offer Incentives

• Your teen is ready to start taking on more responsibilities and having him plan his own workout schedule is a great way to help him do that. This strategy can also help overcome resistance.
  
  Have him make a workout schedule for the week. Ask to let you review it, and make suggestions where appropriate. Then offer him an incentive to complete his goal. Maybe you could extend his Friday night curfew by an hour or give him a bonus on his allowance.
  
  

Stay Focused

• Maintain better health and fitness as the focus of your teen's efforts. Appearance is important to teens and if your teen gains confidence as she begins losing weight, that's great, but you want her to know that you love her and your highest priority is her health and happiness, not her appearance.