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