Ask your child's healthcare provider if you have any questions or concerns. Relationships Body Changes Puberty is physical changes the body goes through during adolescence. Once you begin puberty, it can take from two to seven years for your body to change from a child's body to an adult-like body. For boys, puberty usually begins at about 12 years of age.
Girls typically start puberty a year or two earlier than boys.
Everyone is different, and you and your friends may begin puberty at different ages. When you begin puberty, the pituitary gland at the base of your brain begins to release hormones. These hormones stimulate reproductive glands in your testes, which then release other hormones that start the physical changes associated with puberty. Because the rest of your body has not started to grow, you may feel awkward and clumsy. Your legs and arms grow longer.