Today, after his intense, two-hour futsol practice, my son and I visited a local gym, where I purchased him a membership. As I signed his parental permission form, the woman who signed him up told me very few 17-year-olds work out, compared to people of other ages.
Of course, according to national studies, very few people work out at all.
Something like 70 percent of Americans do not even meet the minimum recommended level of exercise per week. Many are obese.
When you go down the demographic segments to teens, I suspect the percentage is microscopic. Certainly, when touring the gym today, among the hundreds of patrons I saw exercising there was not a single other teenager.
Finances are, of course, an issue, but they are also an issue for us. On the other hand, my son's commitment to stay in the best possible shape as he continues to develop as an elite soccer player is more than enough for me to lay down whatever cash I can for him to reach his goals.
Besides, this was one of his Christmas presents.
Less than an hour (and a Jamba Juice) after I got him his membership, he was back there, working out on the machines on his upper-body strength.
The football coach from his high school recognized him. "Working out on a Saturday, very impressive!"
I tried to do some research about how many teens work out in gyms, but this is a new field for me, and I couldn't locate any reliable statistics.
When I picked him up afterwards, he said it had been "fun."
Exercise releases endorphins. It is fun.
Too bad more people don't realize that.
Tomorrow will be his first futsol game of the season. I'm looking forward to that...
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1 comment:
As always, I say you are a good father! And you have convicted me- my exercise routine fell to the wayside around September somewhere...I've been meaning to start back up & this post has been a great kick in the pants. THANKS!!
I'm very impressed with your son- he is such a mature young man!!
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