Fitness for life

Support an active lifestyle
Another way to encourage teens to be active is to support their efforts in the same way you did when they were younger. Drive them to the gym, offer to coach their team, watch their dance performances. A study by the Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute (CFLRI) showed that teenagers don't receive as much parental support for their physical activities as younger children do. Parents of teens were more likely to complain about the transportation hassles, the costs, and the inconveniences to other family members caused by their teens' participation in sports. Parents of teens were also less likely to agree that their kids' participation had positive rewards, such as developing social skills and improving their capacity for learning.

If your teenager expresses an interest in joining a team or taking karate lessons or buying the hottest new exercise video, encourage her and show your interest in her achievements. Take part with your teenager occasionally, if that's appropriate. Offer to assist the team's coach or to coach the team, if you can, or show up in the stands for practices and games. When talking with your teen about her involvement, focus on the game rather than on the outcome. Tell her it was a great play she made in the first inning, and don't dwell on the fact that her team lost.

Keep it fresh
If your teen shows signs of waning interest, don't push. Let him move on to something new. Otherwise he may be reluctant to commit to an activity again. What's important is that he's involved in physical activity, not that he plays a particular sport. He may be a dabbler who moves from activity to activity, always trying something new. Or he may be interested in a new activity because that's what his friends are doing. If his dabbling in various activities becomes a financial burden, make an agreement that your son will sign up or pay for lessons for short periods only.

At home, set the scene for physical activity. Fill your house with equipment to encourage physical activity: bikes in working order, ice skates, a basketball hoop on the side of the garage, a Ping-Pong table instead of a big-screen TV. And plan family vacations around physical activities. Choose hiking or cycling holidays over lazing-at-the-beach holidays.

When your teen is keen
For many kids, the teen years are a special time when sports and physical activity really dominate their lives. These kids are in their physical prime -- strong, fast, and overflowing with energy. Organized athletics provide them with a positive learning experience. They learn the importance of dedication, discipline, practice, and cooperation with others. They learn to savour winning and accept losing. And often, they can bask in the admiration of their peers.

If you're the parent of a dedicated athlete, nurture this passion for athletic activity in a way that will sustain your child throughout his life. Some parents get caught up in the importance of winning or the slim chance of a future for their teen in professional sport. Having unrealistic expectations may end in disappointment for both you and your child. Being an energetic, passionate teenage athlete should be a reward in itself. As a parent, you need to celebrate what your child is, rather than what she might become.