Let’s face it – it’s not always easy to find a way to move your body that feels fun or fits in with the rest of your life. Maybe you don’t have many facilities near your house, or it’s hard to find time for sports around homework, your part-time job and other activities. As our bodies change and grow, not only during puberty but also for the rest of our adult lives, our preferences for certain types of sport and physical activity will change too.

For example, you might have loved ballet as a little kid, but then it got kind of serious and you weren’t so keen on wearing the leotard anymore. Now you’d much rather play basketball with your friends or do a yoga class on YouTube. This will happen throughout your entire life, and it’s totally fine! You’ll change jobs, develop new relationships, move house… there are all sorts of life events that will influence the type of movement you want to do. Being flexible and open to new things is an important part of finding what feels best for you and your body.

Have you ever wondered why you feel so good after a dance class or soccer game? It’s because movement and physical activity increases the ‘happy hormones’ produced in our brains, called endorphins. Being active also makes our muscles stronger, our heart beat more efficiently and our brain focus and think better. If you’ve ever owned a dog, you know that they need to be walked each day to stay healthy and happy (and not completely destroy your favourite sneakers). It’s the same for humans, especially as we grow or life becomes more stressful.

Sport and exercise have lots of other benefits too, like meeting new friends. You and your teammates will never forget your shared experiences on the netball court or soccer field, and you may even make some friends for life. If team sports aren’t for you, a walk around the park with a friend is a great chance to chat about all the crazy things that happened at school that day.

When we focus on these types of benefits, it’s pretty clear that moving our bodies has nothing to do with how we look… it’s all about feeling great on the inside!