Heart Health for Teenagers

Daily Exercise

• Engaging in aerobic exercise -- walking, running, cycling or swimming -- for at least 30 minutes per day boosts heart health. If teens have a busy schedule, they can exercise in three 10-minute or two 15-minute intervals during different times of the day and get the same cardiovascular benefits, according to the American Heart Association's guidelines for physical activity. As a parent, seek out opportunities for your teenager to get her daily exercise, such as family-oriented events like hiking or an organized activity like soccer.

Pre-Sport Screenings

• Sudden cardiac arrest can happen to teen athletes who seem physically fit. Before your teen participates in a competitive sport, set up an appointment with his doctor for a pre-sport heart screening. The American Heart Association recommends that doctors assess the patient's personal and family health history, as well as perform a physical exam, via a 12-point screening process to determine if further tests -- such as an electrocardiogram -- are needed.

Healthly Diet

• Help your teen build heart-healthy diet habits. Teach your teenager the difference between healthy -- unsaturated -- and unhealthy -- saturated -- sources of fats. Fatty meats, whole dairy products and coconut and palm oils are unhealthy, saturated fat sources; while nuts, avocados and olive oil and fatty fish -- salmon, catfish -- are healthy unsaturated fats. The hydrogenated oils or trans fats found in many processed foods -- chips, crackers, doughnuts -- are not heart healthy. Instead, encourage your teen to choose whole foods for snacking, such as fresh fruits or vegetables. In addition, soluble fiber helps rid the body of bad cholesterol or LDL. Stock your pantry with items such as brown rice, pinto beans and whole-grain bread to provide the fiber your teen needs.

Appropriate Sleep Schedule

• Teens should sleep from eight hours and 30 minutes to nine hours and 15 minutes each night, according to the National Sleep Foundation. However, most teens do not get the appropriate amount of rest their bodies need. While reduced sleep has not been proven to directly cause heart-related issues, it can lead to poor lifestyle habits -- inactivity due to daytime drowsiness, late-night snacking -- that can negatively influence heart health in adulthood.

Avoid Smoking

• Discuss the negative effects of smoking on heart health, such as heart disease, with your teenager. In addition to traditional cigarettes, teens increasingly use hookahs -- water pipes -- for smoking tobacco. According Dr. Leslie Walker, chief of adolescent medicine at Seattle Childrens' Hospital, teens may view hookah smoking as healthier and more socially acceptable than cigarettes. However, hookah users are exposed to the same toxins as cigarette smokers and in unknown quantities, due to the lack of a filter on the hookah.