The team at Techup are as passionate about balance as we are about tech! While we make our livelihood in the tech space, we feel compelled to encourage a moderated approach to screen time and device use, especially among children and teenagers. We are active in our quest to encourage youth to move more and enjoy life in the real world!

Regular exercise or physical activity is essential to a teenager’s development. It will support them to sleep better, eat well, and keep all those raging hormones and recalibrating brain chemicals in order.

Convincing a teenager to exercise can be difficult, especially if they are yet to find a fitness-based activity that they enjoy. In this case, the emphasis should be less about exploring traditional exercise options and more about finding activities that encourage them to be physical. 

Look for an activity that offers a level of social interaction. Teenagers pine for independence and crave social connection. An activity that can tick both boxes is a win for all.

Nudge them toward a school or local sports team, dance, waka ama, kapa haka, Polynesian or martial arts group. 

Encourage goal-setting. Trail running, triathlon and orienteering events are fun and exciting and offer your teen an opportunity to challenge themselves, set goals and work toward achieving them. 

If a less structured approach works better for your teen, encourage them to incorporate as much activity into their social time as possible. Suggest they bike or walk to catch up with friends at the beach or the local pool. 

Limiting screen time is critical to supporting your teen to become and remain more active. Too much screen time only serves to dull their appetite for anything outside of the digital realm, not to mention leaves them less likely to engage in anything physical once they return to the real world. Less than 2 hours a day is a good target.

As parents, we must lead by example. Research confirms that adult behaviour significantly influences the younger people in the household. Eating well, prioritising a good night’s sleep, engaging in regular exercise, drinking in moderation, and moderated phone use are all examples of making good choices and role modelling a positive lifestyle. By doing so, we not only encourage our teens to be more active but increase their chances of growing into healthy and active adults.