• Exercising from a young age helps prevent health problems later in life.stretching girl image by Dmitri MIkitenko from Fotolia.com
  
  According to the Women's Sports Foundation, if a girl does not participate in sports at the age of 10, the chances of her doing so at age 25 are only 10 percent. Regular physical activity has many benefits: aiding sleep, reducing the symptoms of stress, boosting self-esteem and promoting leadership and teamwork skills, all of which are crucial in the development of young girls.
  
  

Choose The Right Activities

• Cycling is a great all-round exercise.girl cycling image by Accent from Fotolia.com
  
  The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that girls aged between 10 and 16 have at least 60 minutes of medium-intensity fitness per day. Group fitness classes, such as dancing and gymnastics, or community clubs like cross-country running, are ideal ways for girls to keep fit and help develop important social skills at the same time. If it is safe to cycle a short distance to school and back, this could be the perfect daily workout for a young girl.
  
  

Make Working Out Fun

• Adding the element of fun to working out can encourage young girls.Young girl with an exercises ball image by Christopher Meder from Fotolia.com
  
  For girls who don't like to exercise or need to increase their activity levels, finding something that is fun to do makes the job less of a chore. Nowadays there are all types of work out classes, from Zumba to Hip Hop. Get a group of young girls together to try a few new classes to see what one they enjoy the most; hopefully they will keep fit and have fun at the same time. Alternatively, buy a work out DVD, invite friends over for a sleepover and follow the DVD together; it will be much more fun to do it as a group.
  
  

Don't Overdo It

• Young girls who over-train are at risk of health problems, insomnia, irritability and depression. While keeping fit is important, undesirable results are girls who become obsessed with their body shape, appearance or weight, which can cause long-term issues with food and body image. If you are the parent of a girl working out, monitor her levels of activity and remember that walking, playing in the back yard and doing household chores all count towards the recommended 60 minutes per day. An active, healthy young girl who takes part in physical education classes at school should not be concerned about adding a large amount of working out to her routine.