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5 reasons you should get active with your BFF

posted by Pretty Tough | Girls Who Are Fun Fierce & Feminine
Thursday, September 9, 2010 at 4:38pm CDT

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We all have that friend who hates to exercise. Maybe she’s naturally thin and feels like she doesn’t have to work out. Or maybe she never found a sport that she enjoys and is too intimidated to start now. Whatever the reason, her lack of movement could be damaging to her health—and to yours.

But wait, you think, you’re a star soccer/basketball/cheerleader who works out every day. How could her sedentary lifestyle possibly affect you? Here are five reasons why you should help your BFF get off the couch and into an activity she’ll enjoy for life.

1. If she hasn’t started yet, it might never happen. Middle school is the time when many girls’ physical activity levels begin to decline. If she didn’t find an activity she enjoyed by then, chances are pretty good that she won’t ever develop an interest in sports. That is, unless the people around her influence her to get moving!
2. Girls who grow strong together, stay strong forever! Studies show that friends who are active together tend to stay active throughout their life. It doesn’t take a study to know that anything you do with your BFF is more fun—from joining the community softball league to holding a dance party at your house!
3. Girls of a feather flock together. Okay, that’s not exactly how the phrase goes, but the meaning is the same. If you don’t encourage your BFF to pick up a tennis racquet and join you on the courts, for example, it’s just as likely that your BFF will encourage you to drop your racquet and join her on the couch. This could prevent both of you from getting the bone-building and heart-pumping exercise your bodies need to be strong and healthy.
4. She’ll be happier. Really. A study in the Journal of Sport Behavior found that children and teens who are involved in physical activity have more friends and are happier. It may be all those endorphins (happy feelings) that come from exercising, or it could just be the social aspect of sports, but either way, she’ll be happier and you’ll be happier for her.
5. Now is the time to build strong bones. Pre-teen and teen girls need 60 minutes of physical activity each day to build strong bones and healthy bodies. Spending too much time in front of the TV or computer screen and not enough time on the playing field can put her at risk for obesity, diabetes, and osteoporosis. Invite your BFF for a walk around the neighborhood—or to the local smoothie shop (to boost your calcium intake, another good thing for your bones!).

Need some other ideas to help your BFF get active? Check out the Best Bones Forever! website for girls, www.bestbonesforever.gov, which includes lots of fun activities as well as great recipes to help you build your best bones forever.