With how much there is to worry about already, it’s easy to forget about the body that you’re carting around all day to school, sports, work, or just to a chair. Whether you’re an athlete or a gamer, however, teens often don’t realize how much strain they’re putting on themselves physically. Since a healthy body means a healthy you, think about whether either of these three problems could be yours!
Poor Sitting Posture
Leaning back may feel relaxing right now, but it won’t be long term. Sitting slouched at a desk is a large reason why people at a young age have increased back pain, and that’s only the start of it. Poor sitting posture can affect your circulation, breathing efficacy, spine shape, mood, and even lead to arthritis down the line. With how much fun is online these days, it is especially important to practice good posture—or you’ll quickly end up one of those adults who can’t straighten their spines even when they try!
Blasting Music With Your Headphones
What? Say that louder? Oh! You want to know what the problem is with blasting music in your ears. Obviously, you’ve heard the general saying that you’ll go deaf if you constantly listen to loud music. But listening to headphones at around 95 to 105 decibels can cause permanent damage to your ears after just 15 minutes, so it’s time to get serious about lowering that volume bar. Even then, prolonged noise at lower volumes can still produce damage over time, so make sure your headphones are never set higher than 85 decibels to minimize damage and the chances of you needing a hearing aid way too early in life.
Not Sleeping Enough
Staying up late can be a blast—but, if it is a constant occurrence, it can also be a drain on the rest of your life. If you aren’t getting the 8-10 hours of sleep recommended for teens, there’s a whole lot of problems you’re likely dealing with. Teens who regularly are sleep-deprived have increased risk of depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem—not to mention they’re more likely to have acne problems, gain weight, and catch all sorts of illnesses. Academic performance is another thing to take a significant hit.
Your body does a lot for you, so maybe it’s time to consider what you can do for it. Look at how you can better treat yourself physically and you’ll feel better mentally. Plus, you’ll avoid a lot of health problems now and down the road.
Read this next: What You Can Do to Put Your Health First