Youth Healthy Lifestyle Behavior Organizations & Resources
Listed below are national organizations and resources which promote healthy lifestyle behaviors among youth in four target areas.
These four areas, including physical activity and sports, healthy nutrition, sleep, and relaxation and mindfulness have all been found to help prevent youth substance use and promote mental wellbeing.
Each of these healthy lifestyle areas are addressed in Prevention Plus Wellness (PPW) programs because of their role in strengthening prevention and promoting wellness among youth and young adults.
We encourage substance use prevention specialists and organizations tol share these organizations and resources with families, schools and communities to enhance substance use prevention and mental and physical health promotion for young people.
Physical Activity & Sports
National Fitness Foundation: The National Fitness Foundation is the only congressionally chartered nonprofit focused on health and fitness. The Foundation develops public and private partnerships to help expand youth physical activity in America. It is the official charity of the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition.
i9 Sports: With over 5 million registrations in communities across the country, i9 Sports® is the nation’s largest multi-sport provider focused solely on high-quality, community-based youth sports programs. We offer youth sports leagues, camps and clinics for kids ages 3 and up in today’s most popular sports such as flag football, soccer, basketball, baseball, volleyball, lacrosse, and tennis.
Boys & Girls Clubs of America: Offers a comprehensive health and wellness program called Triple Play, which increases physical activity, promotes good nutrition, and fosters healthy relationships for members aged 6-18.
YMCA: A leading non-profit that provides various youth programs, including swim, sports, and play, to strengthen communities and help young people connect with opportunities for better health.
Girls on the Run: A non-profit organization created in 1996 to build confidence and self-esteem in young girls by running and walking programs.
Physical Activity Alliance: The Physical Activity Alliance (PAA) is the nation’s largest coalition dedicated to advancing regular participation in physical activity. We use our collective voice to lead efforts that create, support, and advocate for the policy and systems changes necessary to empower people to enjoy physically active lives. We are leading the movement to make physical activity more accessible, frequent, and integrated into the day-to-day lives and health of all people.
Youth Compendium of Physical Activities: The Youth Compendium of Physical Activities provides a list of 196 common activities in which youth participate and the estimated energy cost associated with each activity. It can be used by a wide variety of people—including researchers, health care professionals, teachers and coaches, and fitness professionals—and in a variety of ways—including research, public health policy making, education, and interventions to encourage physical activity in youth.
National Council of Youth Sports: NCYS leads the way in youth sports benefits, inclusion and safety, uniting organizations, coaches, parents, and policymakers to help every young athlete thrive. We promote the physical, mental, and social benefits of participation while advancing national initiatives to improve safety, expand access, and raise the quality of youth sports.
Good Sports: Good Sports drives equitable access in youth sports and physical activity, by supporting children in high-need communities to achieve their greatest potential, on the field and in life.
National Federation of State High School Associations: The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) serves its members by providing leadership for the administration of education-based high school athletics and activities through the writing of playing rules that emphasize health and safety, educational programs that develop leaders, and administrative support to increase opportunities and promote sportsmanship.
Youth Sports Resources, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion: Sports play an important role in the physical, mental, and overall well-being of youth. Getting active through sports can help kids and teens get the recommended 60 minutes of daily physical activity — and support the development of essential life skills while boosting confidence and self-esteem. ODPHP is committed to increasing youth sports participation through its various initiatives.
All Kids Play: All Kids Play is a non-profit organization that aims to transform lives through sports. Our mission is to increase quality youth sports participation by providing financial assistance to families and communities that lack sufficient resources and provide education on safe and healthy sports-related play.
Healthy Nutrition
USDA MyPlate: Provides a visual guide and practical advice for teens on balancing their diet with foods from the five main food groups.
KidsHealth: Offers age-appropriate articles and resources on various aspects of teen health, including tips for eating well for sports, which are relevant for active adolescents.
For Tweens and Teens, USDA Nutrition.gov: Find information and games that teach tweens and teens about the importance of nutrition and physical activity.
Kids Eat Right, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation: The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation is committed to promoting a healthy today and tomorrow for our children. Public education through foundation, community and corporate partners is the first step. The Kids Eat Right campaign was launched to support public education projects and programs that addess the national health concern of obesity among our children.
Nutrition Education for Teens and Young Adults, Gaples Institute: A Graphic-Novel-Style Learning Program. Perfect as a Pediatric Resource and for Classroom Learning.
Nutrition Classes for Teens, Happy Kids Nutrition Academy: Welcome to our nutrition for teen classes webpage! Here, we provide everything you need to know about our nutrition classes specifically designed for teenagers.
Take Charge of Your Health: A Guide for Teenagers, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases: As you get older, you make more choices that affect your body and your health. Choosing healthy foods and drinks, being active, and getting enough sleep are key for your physical and mental health.
Nutrition Education, School Nutrition, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: U.S. students receive less than the required nutrition education needed to change behaviors. Nutrition education and activities in school can give children the information they need to choose healthy foods and beverages. Nutrition education is a vital part of an effective health education program.
Child and Adolescent Nutrition, Professional Resource Guide, MCH Library: This professional resource guide directs readers to a selection of current, high-quality resources that present evidence-based nutrition guidance, describe public health campaigns and other promotion programs, inform policy and legislation, and report on research aimed at identifying promising strategies for improving nutrition and eating behaviors within families, schools, and communities.
Sleep
Teen Sleep Toolkit, National Sleep Foundation: You’re a teenager? Great, this is for you! (We already wrote something for adults). Take a few minutes to look inside yourself and see what’s important to you. What defines you? Who do you aspire to be? Did you know sleep powers your mind, body, emotions, and health?
Teenagers and Sleep, Better Health Channel: Sleep research suggests that a teenager needs between eight and 10 hours of sleep every night. This is more than the amount a child or an adult needs. Yet most adolescents only get about 6.5 – 7.5 hours sleep per night, and some get less.
Teens and Sleep, Sleep Foundation: Sleep is essential for teenagers because it plays an important role in their physical and mental development. Most teens should get between 8 and 10 hours of sleep per night. Unfortunately, research indicates that many teens get far less sleep than they need.
American Academy of Sleep Medicine: Sleep is key to help teens recharge for success this school year. For most teens, back to school time means stocking up on school supplies, picking out new clothes and finalizing class schedules. But one of the best ways they can prepare for success this school year is to commit to getting enough sleep.
Sleep Problems in Your Teen: Care Instructions, Kaiser Permanente: Children in their teenage years may begin having problems sleeping. There is no "right" amount of sleep for teens. Each child's needs are different. But some teens have sleep problems that keep them from getting the sleep they need. Some sleep problems go away on their own. Others need medical care.
School Stress and Sleep, Partnership to End Addiction: This article is part of a series on navigating teens stress and anxiety, a common reason for substance use. Find the full series at Stress & Drug Use: What Every Parent Should Know. Teenagers are living life at full speed — growing, learning, studying, exploding with hormones, learning to drive, gaining autonomy and coping with daily pressure and stress. It turns out that they need more sleep than adults to stay healthy and safe – and cope with stress.
What to Know About Teens and Sleep, National Sleep Foundation: One of the first things we need to understand is the teenage years are one of the most critical periods of our development. Most teens experience rapid physical growth, their brains go through crucial transformation, they start firming up their social roles and identity, and they build skills for emotional regulation.
SleepHealth Foundation: Sleep plays a critical role in the physical and emotional development of children and adolescents. Insufficient sleep in these age groups can impair cognitive function, academic performance, and emotional regulation. It may also contribute to behavioural issues and an increased risk of obesity. For parents, sleep can be disrupted due to caring for infants or children with sleep problems. This can lead to sleep deprivation, affecting their mood, cognitive abilities, and overall well-being.
Relaxation & Mindfulness
Change to Chill: A project by the Marin Institute that provides free online mental health resources, guides, and activities for teens to learn relaxation and healthy lifestyle habits. Sacred Treehouse's CALM Program: An evidence-based, holistic program teaching stress management and mindfulness to teens through yoga, meditation, and art journaling.
Stressed Teens: A community organization that lists various resources, including centers focused on compassion, altruism, and meditation.
Inward Bound Mindfulness: Inward Bound Mindfulness is part of a deep lineage of teen mindfulness retreats which began in Barre, MA in 1989. It was from this foundation that co-founder Jessica Morey and others were inspired to launch a nonprofit dedicated to teaching mindfulness in an immersive environment to young people. Since our founding in 2010, Inward Bound has grown from a small nonprofit to a national leader with retreats having been offered in 16 states and 3 countries.
Mindful Teens, Child and Adolescent Pyschiatry, Stanford Medicine: A 4-week online educational course for teens to learn mindfulness skills to reduce stress and cultivate compassion and wellbeing.
Youth Meditation: Youth Meditation is a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering youth, teachers and parents with practical knowledge and effective tools for managing stress, anxiety and emotions as they navigate through adolescence.
Headspace for Teens: Stressed out? Tired? Unfocused? All of the above? We’ve all been there. But what can you do about it? That’s where Headspace comes in. Headspace has hundreds of meditations and mindfulness exercises to help you learn the skills you need to be healthier and happier — and it was created by a former monk who knows quite a bit about all that stuff.
Relaxation Skills for High School Students, Child Mind Institute: Your kids will learn specific relaxation skills, such as paced breathing, that they can use when experiencing intense or uncomfortable emotions (Video).
Relax Kids: Supporting children with anxiety and overwhelm.
Relaxation Activities to Do at Home with Kids, Save the Children: Extreme events, like the recent hurricanes or the election, can cause anxiety and stress for children. As the world’s leading expert on childhood, we’re sharing these relaxation techniques for kids that are part of our global Healing and Education through the Arts (HEART) program for children experiencing stressful situations.
Mindfulness Meditation & Emotional Strength for Teens, OutSchool: Life can feel overwhelming, but you have the tools to handle it. In this ongoing class, students will learn simple tools to manage emotions like anger, anxiety, and stress—while building focus, resilience, and confidence along the way (Video).
Mindfulness for Teens: Incorporate mindfulness into your life. Videos and meditations.