Physical Activity and Adolescent Health: What Should We Know?
Luiz Antonio Del Ciampo *
Department of Puericulture and Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Brazil.
Regina Lopes Del Ciampo
Department of Medicine, Federal University of São Carlos, Brazil.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Adolescence is characterized by a period of physical, emotional, social and cultural transformations, significant increase in size and changes in physical appearance. At this stage of life the individual is very susceptible to influences of the environment, nutrition, climate, interpersonal relationships and physical activity, among others. This article presents some of the main physical and emotional characteristics of adolescence and the importance of physical activity, highlighting the benefits for physical and mental health, and proposing actions to increase this practice among adolescents.
Keywords: Adolescence, physical activity, puberty, sedentary lifestyle