Being Active
Our bodies are meant to move!
Every teenager needs at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day.
It's about moving a lot daily and not necessarily about training as an athlete.
Keeping fit can challenge your mind and body and is key to good health. Exercise can:
- help prevent serious illness (ex: heart disease, certain cancers, type 2 diabetes, anemia, osteoporosis)
- boost your energy level and mood
- help you stay at a healthy weight
- help you feel good about yourself
- be fun!
Get active and keep moving!
Here are a few tips to stay active:
- Spend less time online on your computer or phone. Get outside, move and enjoy the outdoors.
- Look for a friend in your neighborhood or school who would like to do an activity with you. Activities are more fun when shared with friends.
- Find the right activity for you. Try different physical activities until you fi nd the ones you like the most.
- Just starting out? Begin by setting small goals you can reach. Over time, reach for higher goals. If you want to run, start by switching between running and walking. Build up your distance and speed over time.
Ask yourself this question:
What physical activities do you enjoy doing?
Are you interested in learning more about recreational opportunities in your area?
Check out:
- Lighthouses are youth programs run by Manitoba Justic throughout the province. They were designed to help communities ensure there are youth programs available after school and on weekends. For a list of locations, please visit Safer Communities - Lighthouses
- The City of Winnipeg’s Leisure Guide. It contains information about a wide variety of programs for various ages and ability levels. It also offers information about free programs provided by the City of Winnipeg. Among the programs offered are wading pools, children’s drop-in activities, youth action centres, community centres, free swims, mobile play vans.
- There are also many community centres that provide a broad range of sport, recreational and leisure programs for people of all ages. For more information, go to the General Council of Winnipeg Community Centres website.
It can sometimes feel uncomfortable doing activities around people you don’t know. You may feel unsure about your body and clothing. You may worry others will disapprove of the activity you like.
Being a girl does not have to limit the activities you choose or how you participate. You don’t need to look a certain way to join in.
The more you move, the more confident you will become with the way your body looks, moves and feels. When you f nd an activity you enjoy, it is just one part of who you are.
It doesn’t define everything that you are.
Sport Manitoba
Sport Manitoba is the main planning, programming and funding agency for the development of amateur sport in Manitoba. The organization creates and manages sport programs and services and partners with more than 100 sport organizations that deliver sport in our province. Get some ideas about sports you may want to try, and other ways to get involved in your community, by visiting th Sport Manitoba website.
Take a look at the website for Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity to learn more about women’s involvement in sport in Canada. Their On the Move initiative, encourages inactive girls and young women (ages 9 to 18) to participate in sports and physical activity.
YOUR BODY AND THE CHANGES YOU'LL GO THROUGH
Our bodies change as we grow older. Puberty is a time hormones are changing your body, inside and outside. Safe, trusted family members, friends and health professionals can help you with girl stuff, such as buying the right size bra, using female care products and getting advice from medical professionals about decisions you need to make about your health.
DID YOU KNOW THAT MOST CULTURES AROUND THE WORLD MARK THIS RITE OF PASSAGE IN LIFE WITH SPECIAL CEREMONIES, OBSERVATIONS OR EVENTS?
Customs vary. In Africa, for example, some villages separate girls for several weeks from the rest of the village once they have their first period. During this time, girls are instructed in social customs regarding courtship and relationships. Then, a village-wide ceremony and celebration takes place, presenting the girls back to the community.
Most, if not all, traditions of Native American spirituality consider moon-time as a sacred time of purification. Sometimes women do not go into ceremony or use sacred objects such as pipes and feathers. Traditional people view a woman on her moon-time as sacred, a time where girls and women should be honored.
YOUR BODY IS AMAZING!
EVEN THOUGH YOU MIGHT KNOW ABOUT SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT HAPPEN DURING THIS TIME, IT’S A GOOD IDEA TO LEARN MORE.
Have you ever had a question you were too shy to ask? Maybe something like:
- How do you feel during your period?
- What should I do if I get my period when I wasn’t expecting it?
- How do I know my sexual orientation?
Don’t worry—you’re not the only one! Every young woman
has questions like these and everyone can use some advice.
Check out Growing Up OK!. This guide
has general information about puberty. It’s made for girls just
like you!
IT MAY FEEL A LITTLE AWKWARD, BUT DON’T WORRY, YOU ARE NOT ALONE! EVERY GIRL GOES THROUGH THIS.
YOU CAN ALSO CHECK OUT THE FOLLOWING:
STILL HAVE MORE QUESTIONS?
Whether you have questions about menstruation, nutrition, your skin or fi nding healthy ways to stay in shape – there are a number of teen clinics located around Manitoba that are designed for teens (and only teens) to use.
You can just walk in, without an appointment, during Teen Clinic hours. The people there like working with youth. They will help you with whatever you need, with respect and no judgement. You can go by yourself, with a friend or with a partner. Medical services are free and/or low cost.
Here is a list of things you can get at a Teen Clinic:
- counselling
- access to a doctor if you have any other health issue that you need to talk about
- pregnancy tests
- STI/HIV tests
- information about all birth control options
- counselling on all three legal pregnancy options (adoption, abortion, parenting)
- respect!
Find your nearest Teen Clinic
Having questions is a sign that you are growing up. It shows that you want to take care of yourself. Don't be afraid to go to a parent, guardian, sibling, school nurse or other trusted adult for honest straightforward answers. They were young once too!
Here in Manitoba, you can also call Health Links (24/7) at 204-788-8200 in Winnipeg or toll free 1-888-315-9257 for information and referral services about health-related matters, provided by nurses.
