How to Support Teenagers Through Exercise: What Every Parent and Trainer Should Know

By Dr Susan Baxter, PhD

I’m Dr Susan Baxter (PhD), a fitness and rehabilitation educator for personal trainers, allied health professionals, and movement-minded parents. One of the most misunderstood age groups when it comes to exercise prescription? Teenagers.

Whether you're a parent, coach, or clinician, this article will help you support teens with training that improves their physical, cognitive, and emotional development — without pushing them too far, too soon.

Doctors Aren’t Trained in Exercise Prescription — So Let’s Bridge the Gap

This isn’t a dig at paediatricians or GPs — I respect them enormously. But a recurring theme in my PhD research on exercise and chronic illness was clear: patients expected their doctors to be experts in exercise. The problem? Most medical degrees barely touch it.

Even some of my clients — cardiologists and specialists — admit it’s a blind spot. And yet every fitness DVD and class waiver says “consult your doctor before beginning exercise.”

Let’s be real: doctors aren't trained in reps, sets, or movement cues — that’s what we do. And when it comes to youth training, the need for real exercise guidance is even greater.

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Teens Aren’t Too Young for Exercise. They’re Ready — They Just Need the Right Start.

Exercise during the teenage years sets the foundation for adult habits. Think of it like investing in their future self — not just physically, but mentally, emotionally, and neurologically.

The benefits of training in adolescence go far beyond muscle tone:

• Improved focus and stress regulation

• Enhanced spatial awareness, balance, and coordination

• Boosted dopamine and endorphin release (the good kind — not just from screens and sugar)

• Stronger executive function and self-regulation

In short, training helps the brain as much as the body.

Hormones, Clumsiness, and Brain Growth: Why Teens Need Movement

As teens go through puberty, their hormone fluctuations affect coordination and proprioception — it’s not just in their heads if they feel "clumsy." Exercise helps them gain body awareness, improve balance, and avoid injuries.

Plus, training activates the cerebellum and supports prefrontal cortex development — the part of the brain responsible for planning, impulse control, and decision-making. Translation? They make smarter choices outside the gym, too.

Discipline, Dopamine, and Delayed Gratification

Teenagers are wired for dopamine-seeking — which is why they often chase high-stimulation behaviors (risky driving, social media, sugar binges). Exercise gives them a safe, healthy dopamine hit, while also teaching discipline through skill acquisition and delayed gratification.

When done right, training becomes a dopamine delivery system with guardrails — which might be one of the most protective habits a teen can form.

Overtraining Is a Risk — But It's Not About Volume Alone

More isn’t always better. Overtraining (or more accurately, under-recovery) can mess with hormone balance, growth, and mood. For girls, it may even contribute to Female Athlete Triad — where inadequate energy availability disrupts menstruation and bone development.

But overtraining risk isn't about a single number. It depends on:

• Training frequency, intensity, and duration

• Nutrition and sleep quality

• Previous fitness history

• Whether proper deload weeks are built in

General guideline:

• For trained teens: up to 6 days/week, 45–60 min at moderate to high intensity

• Deload every 4–6 weeks (reduce volume by 60%)

• For new teens: start with 3x/week, 30 minutes at a 6–7/10 effort

• Increase only after 6 weeks of consistency

Strength Training Is Safe — With One Smart Caveat

Weight training is not only safe for teens — it’s recommended. It improves posture, confidence, bone density, and resilience. That said, I avoid axial loading movements (like barbell back squats) for teens whose spines are still developing.

Stick with technique-driven, well-supervised sessions. Group classes, home strength circuits, or sessions with a qualified PT are ideal.

Want Your Teen to Love Training? Lead With These Two Principles

1. Role model it. Let them see you exercising consistently — not as punishment, not for weight loss, just because it’s part of life.

2. Speak beginner-friendly. Avoid linking exercise to aesthetics. Praise effort, consistency, and skills, not body shape.

Train the Teen, Support the Human

Teens need physical outlets. They also need emotional scaffolding, sleep, food, and coaching that meets them where they are.

Group training can create supportive peer groups outside school (useful when friendship drama strikes). The discipline and joy they build now will echo into adulthood.

Need Help?

Whether you're a parent, educator, or fitness professional, I can help you structure training for teens that’s developmentally aligned, engaging, and safe.

Email me to explore my upcoming course on training teens. It’s science-led, beginner-safe, and made for the real world.