August 5, 2018

Many Young Women Don’t Exercise Enough After Graduating From High School

Not being active now can lead to problems later

Many Young Women Don’t Exercise Enough After Graduating From High School

From struggling to keep up with college-level coursework to working a part-time job (or two) for extra spending money, life after high school brings many challenges.

Advertisement

Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy

And according to a recent study, a big challenge for many in their late teens and early 20s after receiving that high school diploma is fitting in time for exercise.

Young women, in particular, are struggling to meet daily exercise recommendations, the results showed.

How many minutes a week are you getting?

“Basically, women weren’t meeting those levels across the board, in any of the age groups,” explains physical therapist Dawn Lorring, PT, who did not take part in the study. “However, there was a larger drop-off once you got above the age of 17. So, once you hit 18 there was actually a larger drop-off in the female population than the male population.”

The study looked at more than 9,000 young men and women between the ages of 12 and 29. Researchers studied their activity levels by asking if they were meeting the recommended daily levels of activity.

Advertisement

For children and teens under the age of 20, recommendations call for 60 minutes per day, or 420 minutes per week of moderate to vigorous activity. For young adults older than 20, it recommends to achieve 145 minutes of exercise per week.

It’s not just about weight

Physical activity is important for all young people, especially young women because they can develop bone density issues that become larger problems as they age, Lorring says.

Up until about their mid-20s, women have a surplus where they are building more bone than they’re losing. However, once women reach their mid-20s, they lose the ability to make those gains and only make enough bone to replace what’s lost.

Finding time to fit it in

Lorring says transitioning to life after high school can be stressful and busy, but it helps to make a plan for exercise ― the same way you plan other events in your week.

Advertisement

“Make yourself pencil-in the time during the day or during the week that you’re going to get your activity in,” she says. “That way it’s another appointment on your schedule. It becomes more important to you.”

It’s critical to choose an activity that you enjoy, Lorring says. That way you don’t see exercise as something you have to do, but rather as something that you want to do. She recommends doing an activity with a friend or using music to help motivate you to keep moving.

Complete results of the study can be found in JAMA Pediatrics.

Learn more about our editorial process.

Related Articles

A snapshot of a waiting room at a women's health clinic.
April 27, 2023
Defining Women’s Health

Inclusion is at the heart of women’s health

Owner hiking with dog on a pathway in the woods.
February 8, 2023
The Health Benefits of Pets

They can provide social, physical, mental and emotional boosts!

women and strokes and stroke risk
January 2, 2023
Causes of Stroke in Women and Why They Differ From Men

Hormonal changes and pregnancy are some factors unique to women and people AFAB

Hand holding a tampon.
September 11, 2022
Debunking Common Myths About Tampons

They won’t make your cramps worse or stretch out your vagina!

Woman visiting gynecologist
May 4, 2022
9 Tips To Keep Your Vagina and Vulva Healthy

A gynecologist shares what you can do (and what you can skip)

Person in a patterned hospital gown with doctor over their shoulder
January 30, 2022
Can Anyone Get a 3D Mammogram, and Is It Covered By Insurance?

The short answer from a radiologist

mom and newborn baby
October 12, 2021
C-Section Recovery Timeline and Aftercare

What to expect after having surgery

woman holding IUD
September 16, 2021
Should You Try to Remove Your Own IUD?

The short answer from an Ob/Gyn

Trending Topics

Person in yellow tshirt and blue jeans relaxing on green couch in living room reading texts on their phone.
Here’s How Many Calories You Naturally Burn in a Day

Your metabolism may torch 1,300 to 2,000 calories daily with no activity

person getting a sinus massage between brows
5 Sinus Massage Techniques To Relieve Pressure and Promote Drainage

A gentle touch in all the right places may help drain your sinuses

woman snacking on raisins and nuts
52 Foods High In Iron

Pump up your iron intake with foods like tuna, tofu and turkey

Ad