Heel touches are one of those exercises you look at and either think, ‘is that it?’ or ‘that looks nice and easy!’, depending on how much you enjoy core exercises. For those who’d rather avoid planks and crunches, this movement makes for a good alternative – and it can be done lying down.

This exercise targets the obliques, muscles that sit on the sides of our core and help stabilise the spine and support hip strength. Often underworked and underrated, these muscles are essential for everyday movements like bending down and twisting, which in turn may help prevent lower back pain.

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Teenagers who see exercise as fun, social and good for their health are significantly fitter by late adolescence than those driven by competition, pressure or fear of judgement, new research led by Flinders University shows.

Tracking more than 1,000 young people from age 14 to 17, researchers found early attitudes to physical activity strongly predict measurable aerobic fitness three years later.

The national study, using data from the long‑running Raine Study, was led by Flinders University in collaboration with the University of Notre Dame Australia, and has been published in Child: Care, Health and Development journal.

Researchers examined how teenagers’ beliefs about physical activity relate to aerobic fitness in late adolescence, measured using a standard laboratory cycling test at age 17.

The findings show that intrinsic motivations – such as enjoying physical activity, feeling healthy, keeping fit and spending time with friends – consistently matter most between the ages of 14 and 17.

Teenagers who value these factors are significantly fitter at 17 than those motivated primarily by winning, external rewards or pressure from others.

Senior author Associate Professor Mandy Plumb, a clinical exercise physiologist at Flinders University, says the results underline the importance of understanding what genuinely motivates young people.

“When adolescents see physical activity as enjoyable, social and good for their health, they are more likely to develop lasting fitness into later adolescence,” says Associate Professor Plumb, who is based at Flinders’ Rural and Remote Health NT.

Participants reported both how important they believed different outcomes of physical activity were, and how likely they thought those outcomes were to occur, including enjoyment, health benefits and appearance.

While most motivational factors remained relatively stable across adolescence, improving appearance was the only factor that increased in importance for both boys and girls by age 17.

Associate Professor Plumb says this reflects normal adolescent development.

“As teenagers get older, they become more aware of their bodies and how they are perceived by others, which is why appearance becomes more influential in later adolescence,” she says.

The study also identified clear gender differences in how motivation relates to fitness outcomes.

Boys tended to have higher aerobic fitness at 17 when motivated by competition, winning and external rewards.

Girls, by contrast, were fitter when motivated by enjoyment, feeling healthy, weight control and supportive social environments.

Associate Professor Plumb says these findings show youth sport and physical activity programs need to be more targeted.

“One‑size‑fits‑all approaches don’t work, particularly for girls during adolescence,” she says.

The research also highlights the damaging impact of negative social experiences, especially for teenage girls.

Girls who believed others would make fun of them for being physically active were significantly less fit by age 17.

“Fear of judgement can directly reduce participation in physical activity, leading to poorer long‑term fitness outcomes,” says Associate Professor Plumb.

Importantly, the study shows that attitudes formed in early adolescence influence later health outcomes – not just behaviour at the time.

“What teenagers believe about physical activity at 14 continues to shape their fitness several years later,” says Associate Professor Plumb.

The authors say the findings have clear implications for parents, schools, coaches and policymakers.

“Programs that prioritise fun, friendship and feeling healthy may be more effective than those focused on competition or performance alone,” says Associate Professor Plumb.

“Reducing pressure, bullying and overly competitive environments could help more young people stay active throughout adolescence.”

The authors say that schools and community sports organisations are well placed to apply the findings to help reverse declining physical activity levels among teenagers.

The paper, Perceptions of the Likelihood and Importance of Physical Activity Outcomes at 14 Years Affects Physical Fitness at 17 Years by Amanda Timler, Paola Chivers, Helen Parker, Elizabeth Rose, Jocelyn Tan, Beth Hands and Mandy S. Plumb was published in Child: Care, Health and Development journal. DOI: 10.1111/cch.70276

Acknowledgements: The Raine Study Gen2-14 year follow-up received funding from NHMRC (Sly et al., ID 211912), NHMRC Program Grant (Stanley et al.,ID 003209) and The Raine Medical Research Foundation. The Raine Study Gen2-17 year follow-up was funded through a NHMRC Program Grant (Stanley et al., ID 353514).

The Monroe Center for Healthy Aging will mark Older Americans Month by hosting a Health and Fitness Day on May 27, according to a community announcement.

The event is designed to promote wellness, physical activity and a positive approach to aging, organizers said. Programming reflects the center’s philosophy that many factors influencing how people age — including nutrition, movement and mindset — are within individual control, according to the announcement.

Exercise classes and health screenings

The day begins with the Movin’ and Groovin’ exercise class at 9 a.m., followed by the EnhanceFitness class offered by the Monroe Family YMCA at 10 a.m.

Cholesterol checks will also be available, though space is limited and advance registration is required by calling 734‑241‑0404. Participants are asked to fast for eight hours before the screening, according to the announcement.