There is no downside to regular exercise, particularly for teens. Exercise helps teens’ muscle and bone strength, keeps hearts and lungs healthy and provides a supercharged immune system and energy levels. Exercise releases a wave of chemicals called endorphins through our bodies, which make us feel great naturally. Staying physically active helps teens feel confident and happy in themselves and maintain a healthy weight. Regular exercise improves intelligence, contributing to higher grades and improved learning. 

So, why can it be difficult to convince some teens to be active? It may all be in the approach. 

1.) Teens shouldn’t be forced to play organized sports. There are many alternatives such as cycling, walking, running or sledding. Even video games promoting physical activity are better than those encouraging adherence to a couch. Several short bursts of exercise throughout the day can add to the recommended 60 minutes of daily activity for teens. 

2.) Take advantage of online sources. Zoom classes and other online programs are a handy alternative for those who prefer to exercise indoors or privately. Thanks to technology, inclement weather or a lack of outdoor space are no longer excuses for remaining inactive. Many fitness professionals offer free, guided workouts online or through various social media outlets. 

3.) Adopt a dog. It’s no secret teens love dogs. In fact, a study revealed teens with dogs do an extra 78 minutes per week of recreational walking, 285 more minutes per week walking, and an extra 260 minutes of unstructured activity than teens without dogs.  

4.) Make sure the exercise is fun. This may seem obvious, but a teen isn’t guaranteed to love an activity simply because his or her parents enjoy it. Fortunately, the options are endless. Enjoying the activity is essential to a teen’s success.  

5.) It must be the teen’s choice. There’s a fine line between encouragement and nagging. Most teens will dig in and refuse to change behavior if forced into an activity, no matter how beneficial it may be. Adults should take a relaxed approach to introducing a new physical activity, lead by example, and be less willing to provide transportation if the teen can easily walk or ride a bicycle to a desired location.  

There is no downside to regular exercise, particularly for teens. So, why can it be difficult to convince some teens to be active?

Lace-up your running shoes, slip on your favorite earbuds and start running like you are going to live forever … or at least longer. Studies show even a small amount of running can add years to your life.  

Chances are you probably feel stretched to the limit in your daily life, however, if you are not stretching regularly, you could be headed for an injury.

Asana, vinyasa, chaturanga … say what? If you don’t know anything about yoga, learning the terminology alone can be a workout for your mind. Actually, one of the great things about yoga is it exercises your mind and body.

With yoga, you train by stretching and sometimes contorting your body. Remember playing Twister as a kid? This is the grown-up version, only everybody wins. While practicing odd poses with weirder names, you focus on your thoughts and feelings as they happen—a technique sometimes referred to as mindfulness. It teaches you to evaluate and control your emotions, which can decrease stress, anxiety and depression.

You may have been interested in yoga for the increased range of motion, flexibility or the calm it can bring to your mind. However, you may not know that yoga can also relieve back pain and be good for your heart through stress relief.

If you are worried about stretching yourself too thin by starting a new workout, consider several professional athletes from all major sports have adopted yoga into their cross-training routines. The athletes say yoga helps them improve flexibility and focus on their goals. There are even specific yoga poses for runners, golfers, tennis players, basketball players and baseball players.

So, are you ready to get your “om” on? If so, before you start, talk to your doctor about your fitness level and determine where to start. There are multiple levels of yoga to accommodate everyone from a couch potato to a professional athlete.

In case you are still wondering, in yoga, asana means the poses and postures used during yoga. Vinyasa is a type of yoga where you do a series of poses in a row. Chaturanga refers to a specific kind of pose. Sort of like learning a new language, huh?

Asana, vinyasa, chaturanga … say what? If you don’t know anything about yoga, learning the terminology alone can be a workout for your mind.

Remember jumping out of trees, running everywhere and playing as a kid? Perhaps even as an adult, you still run as you aim for 10,000 steps a day or when you are about to miss the bus. Exercise is great for your health and heart, but as those steps, jumps, pivots and falls add up, your knees can take a real beating.

Perhaps you already have a little knee pain, or maybe you want to prevent it as long as you can, like forever.

There is no guaranteed way to prevent knee pain, but there are steps (get it) to improve your odds of continuing to bust a move as you age and not your knee.

According to Harvard Health, building certain muscles can help prevent and alleviate knee pain. Focus on the quadriceps, hamstrings, hip and core muscles.

Another strategy for healthy knees is to maintain an appropriate weight. Eating donuts can cause all kinds of health problems, especially when they turn into extra pounds. According to a study published in Arthritis & Rheumatism, every pound of weight you carry equals four more pounds of pressure on your joints. Ten pounds overweight? That is an extra forty pounds of pounding your knees take with every step.

Wondering how you can stay fit if you must give up your daily run? Try cycling, elliptical machines and even yoga. In addition to exercising your mind and body, there are yoga poses recommended to help prevent knee pain and increase flexibility. “You should also avoid standing on hard surfaces or squatting for long periods,” said Corey Jackson, D.O., Genesis orthopedic surgeon. “Plus, just because a pair of shoes look great doesn’t mean they are good for your health. When possible, wear the appropriate cushioned athletic shoes.”

The most important thing to remember is whether you want to alleviate knee pain or prevent it, talk to your family doctor. Your doctor can provide personalized advice on which activities you should or shouldn’t do to stay healthy.

Perhaps you already have a little knee pain, or maybe you want to prevent it as long as you can, like forever.

Making a few simple changes to your diet and lifestyle can help you avoid serious orthopedic problems.

If you were into exercise before you became pregnant, woohoo. If you are pregnant and want to get in shape, go for it. But before you begin, discuss your exercise plans with your obstetrician–gynecologist or other member of your healthcare team during your prenatal visits.

What does being “fit” mean for you?

We’ve all been there—our feet hurt from the wrong type of shoes, improper fit, constantly wearing heels or being overweight.

It's one of the most common surgeries performed, but how do you know if shoulder surgery is right for you? While over a million people undergo some type of shoulder surgery in the U.S. each year, it's important to understand the underlying issues that lead to surgery — and the best treatment options for relief.

"Information and knowledge about your condition is the best starting point," explains Thai Q. Trinh, M.D., orthopedic surgeon, Genesis Orthopedic Group. "When a patient meets with a surgeon they often think they're signing up for an operation. When in fact, my goal is to help the patient understand what we can do non-operatively to maximize their outcome and recognize when surgery is needed."

Why your shoulder aches

As the most flexible joint in the body, the shoulder is your arm's link to movement and daily activities. But because it relies on a complex series of tendons, muscles, bones and bursae to function properly, your shoulder is vulnerable to instability and injury. In fact, every year approximately 14 million people in the U.S. seek treatment for shoulder pain.

Although the joint disease osteoarthritis is a leading cause of shoulder pain, another disease may actually be the cause, according to Dr. Trinh.

"Arthritis is a purely degenerative condition and tends to be in the middle age to older population, causing ongoing pain and often preventing activities of daily living and recreational activities," he says. "In a younger patient or those who have suffered an injury it may not be arthritis, but rotator cuff disease causing mild to severe shoulder and upper arm pain."

According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), rotator cuff disease ranks among the most prevalent of musculoskeletal disorders, with 50% of rotator cuff tears occurring in those older than age 65. "It's common for many of my patients to have sustained an injury at work where they've torn the rotator cuff," explains Dr. Trinh.

Telltale signs you need surgery

Many can live with shoulder pain when managed with less invasive treatments, including stretching, rest, ice or heat, and physical therapy. An option for almost all patients, a personalized physical therapy treatment plan can be effective for most shoulder issues by improving daily quality of life, decreasing pain and increasing strength and mobility.

"If appropriate, cortisone or other anti-inflammatory treatments, either taken by mouth or injections are also helpful. But there are instances where I would not recommend a cortisone injection, including a traumatic rotator cuff tear," he says. "We know there are detrimental effects to long-term cortisone exposure, potentially increasing your risk of needing a second operation."

The telltale signs shoulder surgery may the best solution for pain relief, include:

• Ongoing pain over a long period of time that limits activities of daily living or recreational activities.
• A new injury, which results in weakness or loss of motion. "This can be an indication of a more serious injury that should be evaluated and may require surgery," Dr. Trinh says.
• An unstable shoulder that 'pops' in and out; if this is a recurring problem, patients typically require an operation, according to Dr. Trinh.

High-tech surgery for relief

Whether it's to treat arthritis or a rotator cuff tear, Genesis Orthopedic Group relies on state-of-the-art, live imaging through a 4K surgical camera for precise diagnosis. "It provides a much clearer picture when we're operating, allowing us to see really fine details of the shoulder's pathology to address it correctly," explains Dr. Trinh.

Shoulder replacement surgery is completed with minimally invasive technology, eliminating pain and restoring function. "I usually tell people that by six months postoperatively they're satisfied with the operation, but it does require physical therapy to get their motion and strength back," he says. "Patients usually feel much better very quickly - and they notice a difference between that chronic, aching pain associated with arthritis and postsurgical pain.

"By spending time educating our patients on their shoulder problem and what they might expect with both non-operative and operative treatment, they come away feeling educated enough to play an active role in the decision on which way they'd like to go," states Dr. Trinh.

It's one of the most common surgeries performed, but how do you know if shoulder surgery is right for you?