By Abigail Abesamis

According to a study published in the January 2014 issue of the NCHS Data Brief released by the CDC, only one-in-four U.S. teens get the U.S. health expert recommended sixty minutes of “moderate-to-vigorous physical activity” daily. Data was taken from teens ranging from ages 12 to 15 years old. In comparing the sexes, 27% of boys met the daily sixty minute requirement while only 22.5% of girls met the requirement.

What can you do to help get your teen nieces and nephews moving more? Ask your nieces and nephews which exercise activities they are most interested in and encourage them to get moving by getting active with them, or check out this cheat sheet for the activities they are most likely to prefer:

The study shows that boys who exercised regularly most often prefer:

    1.    basketball
    2.    running
    3.    football
    4.    bike riding
    5.    walking

And for girls, the top five activities favored are:

    1.    running
    2.    walking
    3.    basketball
    4.    dancing
    5.    bike riding

Most of these activities involve continuous physical movement, which makes it easier to keep track of the time your nieces and nephews put toward the sixty minute daily requirement. Running, playing basketball, going for a bike ride, or taking a nice long walk are all great ways to be active together. They are also relatively simple to start doing and inexpensive.

Sixty minutes might seem like a lot, but it doesn’t have to be as overwhelming as it sounds. These sixty minutes can be broken up into several activities throughout the day. The important thing is to get your nieces and nephews moving and staying healthy.

Published: January 21, 2014