Some simple initiatives can prove to be very helpful in improving teen health

Some simple initiatives can prove to be very helpful in improving teen healthA U. S. researcher has said that simple things like starting a walking program for teens or giving them pedometers can enhance teen health.

One study showed a drop in blood pressure of students in high-school-based walking program after 16 weeks compared with non-participating students, says Dr. Vernon Barnes, a physiologist at the Medical College of Georgia's Georgia Prevention Institute.

A pedometer is an incentive to walk more, said Barnes, part of an adult team competing with a high-school team competing to see which group can walk the farthest.

Barnes says in a statement, "You think about it: that little extra walking will hopefully benefit your health."

Barnes further added that a second study finds a few minutes a day of meditation also pays dividends. A review of school records shows meditating teens miss fewer days and behave better.

Barnes also said, "When you come to school with a stressed mind, you can't do as well. The benefit of calming the mind is preparing it to learn."

It was also reported by Barnes that after attending one dozen 50-minute classes on anger and anxiety, taught by health teachers, the teens showed reductions in anger and anxiety. (With Inputs from Agencies)