Weight-bearing exercise can help prevent osteoporosis. High school girls who spend time in sports tend to earn higher grades. Girls and women who participate in sports experience higher levels of self-esteem and lower levels of depression. Studies have shown that exercise during adolescent years can reduce the risk of breast cancer in adult women, a disease that will afflict one out of every eight Americans. If a girl does not participate in sports by the time she is 10, she has only a 10 percent chance of participating when she is 25.
Regular exercise improves the overall quality of life.
It will be helpful to realize that more than100 different sports and physical activities are out there. Among them is a sport just right for each and every one of us. The important thing is to expose your child to as many different activities and sports as you can, until he or she finds one or more that are just right. Keep in mind that as we go through various life stages our interests and abilities may change. Whichever sport or activity your child becomes involved in, be sure it is their choice and not yours.