by Sydney Goff, high school senior at CCF and BBH’s own front desk gal
It is known to many people close to me that I love strength training. Over the past two years, it has become one of my biggest passions. Throughout this journey, I get asked about why I strength train regularly as a teen— especially as a teen who doesn’t play any sports. I always give credit to my dad for sparking an interest in fitness in me throughout my childhood, but a major reason I have continued to get more invested in fitness and strength training is the many benefits there are, especially for teens.
Academics: As a senior in high school, I completely understand the stress of school work, grades, and trying to stay focused on the difficult days. Although adding another thing to your schedule like strength training may seem like an inconvenience or an added stress; there are many correlations between students doing better in school whenever consistently engaging in physical activity. According to the CDC: “Higher physical activity and physical fitness levels are associated with improved cognitive performance (e.g., concentration, memory) among students.” This can lead to better grades overall and focus in class.
Mental Health: As I just mentioned, being a teenager can come along with lots of stress. In high school and middle school, there are many pressures from all around to do your best or compromise your best for what peers may expect from you. Whenever I tend to get stressed or need a moment to myself, strength training and exercising have been one of the best things I can do for myself mentally. Exercise, including strength training, has been shown to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. Physical activity stimulates the release of endorphins, which are natural mood lifters, these endorphins can calm our stress and improve our current mental state. As many teenagers find comfort in things that are actually harming them, it is important to try and find things like exercise that are good for us when going through anxieties or stress.
Physical health: There is a myth I’ve heard for most of my life that states lifting weights as a teen causes stunt growth. Although this has been disproven many times by different studies, the rumor itself has likely struck fear in many teens who may have considered strength training. The truth is that training as a teen helps build muscle mass and bone density, which is crucial during the teenage years when the body is still growing and developing. This strengthening of bones and muscles plays a big role in preventing injury. Working out consistently can also improve cardiovascular health, boost metabolism, and reduce the risk of obesity, high blood pressure, and similar diseases.
Confidence: All teenagers can relate to having confidence issues, whether we want to admit it or not. Sometimes it comes in middle school as everything begins to change, or maybe later in high school or college because of difficulties in friendships or relationships. Confidence was something I struggled with for a long time. However, as I have become more consistent with fitness, my confidence levels have made a noticeable shift. Not because of what you may expect either. It’s not because I’ve grown muscle or because of any physical shifts in my body; but simply because I have become comfortable with taking up space and taking initiative. Establishing a routine of strength training and exercise during the teenage years can become a lifelong commitment to health and fitness, but also a lifelong commitment to chasing your goals. The discipline I have had to go to the gym has overflown into all other areas of life. Because, setting and achieving fitness goals isn’t always easy, but the second you achieve something in the gym that you’ve been training for for so long, you gain a sense of accomplishment and confidence. Strength training for me isn’t about looks from the outside but all about the way it makes me feel on the inside.
Truthfully, my friends are probably tired of me talking about strength training by now and of me trying to lure them into giving it a try. But whenever something has made such an impact on your life, you can’t stop talking about it. As the studio’s slogan says: Decide, Execute, Achieve. Once you decide to dedicate your time to fitness and you start to execute those goals, you achieve and gain a lifestyle that you don’t want to lose. Fitness isn’t just for adults, and it isn’t just for gaining or losing weight. It is about improving yourself every day. Not just in the gym, but everywhere you go. So I encourage all teenagers, to start now, try something new, and get started with strength training today!
