This is for all of the teen girls out there. Theres more to life than working out, but being active sure makes life more fun.
INTRODUCTION
When we first set out to write this book about teen fitness, we asked ourselves one question: If we could go back in time, what would we want to tell ourselves back in high school about living a truly healthy lifestyle? Turns out, wed tell ourselves a lotabout eight chapters worth of goodies, in fact.
Right now, you may think working out and eating right are just about helping you look better in your swimsuit or improve your tennis swing, but the healthy habits you build now will have a huge impact on your life going forward.
From tennis and cheerleading practice to cooking healthy dinners with our families, we were lucky enough to grow up with pretty healthy role models for parents. However, even with that, we misstepped, trying a crash diet here and under-or over-exercising there. With all of the unhealthy messages out there to look and dress a certain way, its easy to get caught up in the hype that you are your dress size or that a boy will never like you unless you can rock a string bikini. But, believe us, thats a bunch of hooey.
You are beautiful as you are, right in this moment. And you deserve to take care of yourself to be healthy and strong and confident. Not because a celebrity selling a new kind of makeup tells you so, but because deep down you are worth taking care of. Not to be a certain weight, but to be your best and healthiest version of yourself.
As you flip through the pages of this book, youll see weve shared our top tips on how to do just that. Weve laid out a plan for you to easily and sanely fit fitness and healthy eats into every aspect of your everyday life.
In the first few chapters, well introduce you to all the fitness and health fundamentals you need to know. Well help you with getting motivated and getting started, and teach you how to properly fuel your body for everyday life. Then after that, well get more specific with workouts you can fit into your already busy schedule, like a quick morning workout, a walking routine you can do after school, and a dance party that will get you sweating. Once youve gotten hooked on fitness, well show you how to pump up those workouts to get even more of a challenge! Its not all fitness either; well share our tips on eating better, busting stress, and getting plenty of recovery time, too!
Throughout the book, we investigate (and often expose) common fitness myths, share pitfalls to avoid, and highlight tips from real teens who have made fitness and health a priority. Be sure to check out our resources, too, which will give you tons of great websites for all of your fitness and health needs.
Whether youre hoping to start working out, or looking to take your fitness level up a notch, well help you get there. All we ask is that, in doing so, you pay attention to your body, and treat yourself with respect and love. For us, that was the missing piece to our teen-fitness puzzle: It took us too long to realize how awesome we already were!
So now, without further ado, lets get to it!
CHAPTER 1
Why getting
fit matters
![Y ouve heard it repeated a million times You should eat right and work out - photo 3](/uploads/posts/book/60000/images/p12-01.jpg)
Y ouve heard it repeated a million times: You should eat right and work out. Diet and exercise, diet and exercise, diet and exercise. Simple, right? But between news of another new superfood and all the celebrity diet fads out there, it can get pretty confusing. And most people would rather watch a movie than spend their day munching on carrot sticks and sweating it out at the gym. Well, were here to tell you that even though fitness can be a lot of work and take a lot of time, it doesnt have to. In fact, exercise can actually be enjoyable. (We swear!) Being just a little more fit can make you healthier, happier, and more confidentmaybe even confident enough to ask that senior to the homecoming dance.
You dont have to do sit-ups for three hours a day or make a million trips to the gym to reap tons of feel-good benefits. There are a number of little changes you can make to your routine that will bring out your inner Jillian Michaelsstarting today.
![In the following pages were going to tell you everything we wish someone had - photo 4](/uploads/posts/book/60000/images/p12-02.jpg)
In the following pages, were going to tell you everything we wish someone had told us back when we were teens. From avoiding the latest crash diet (been there, done thatsadly), to finishing the mile run in gym class without having a near-death experience, to valuing being healthy instead of just looking skinny, well reveal the ins and outs of getting fit without sacrificing any of the other things that you already love to do. In fact, weve put together a chapter with get-healthy tips and tricks for each and every part of your day. Well show you how to make a healthy breakfast, squeeze activity into your school day, unwind and de-stress at night, and even get your friends and family involved with your fitness efforts on a year-round basis. Each chapter also includes a sample workout, so that you can start getting fit today.
With just a few tweaks to your lifestyle, even the busiest of girls can be fit!
![A Girls Guide to Fitting in Fitness - image 5](/uploads/posts/book/60000/images/tip.jpg)
Why I Work Out:
I exercise to stay in shape and because it makes me feel better. I enjoy staying active because I have fun doing it.
Allie Vandeneberghe, 16, Junction City, Oregon
WHY SHOULD I CARE?
Sure, fitness is definitely about looking good (and confidently wearing that swimsuit at the community pool), but its also about feeling good. By adding just a little bit of activity here and there, you too can cash in on these five sweet benefits.
1. Youll love the number on the scale. Exercise has been proven to help with controlling weightmeaning that as the years tick by, working out as a healthy habit (and not as a dreaded chore) will help keep you at your healthy and happy best.
2. Your mood will improve. Ever heard of a runners high, where you experience a rush after going for a jog? Its real, and almost all forms of physical activitynot just running have been shown to boost mood and energy. So instead of relying on that energy drink to get you through study hall, try taking the long way back to your locker after lunch for an afternoon pick-me-up.