ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- Robins Air Force Base's Teen Council and multiple base helping agencies are working together to teach teens how to live healthier.

The base's Teen Council will host a Teen Health and Fitness Workshop at the Robins Youth Center in Bldg. 1021 on March 26, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Marvin Hawkins, 78th Force Support Squadron's Youth Programs teen coordinator, said the workshop will give teens a better understanding of how their bodies work, provide healthy eating and meal planning tips, and show how to work healthy habits into their day.  

"The purpose of the workshop is for teens to understand how regular fitness benefits every part of their body, lowers risk of some diseases, is good for their hearts and other muscles," he said.  

The workshop will also teach teens about the cause and effect of stress, ways to manage stress, and how to be a resilient teen.

Robins' Health and Wellness Center will lead a workshop on the importance of remaining healthy, leading a healthy lifestyle, and incorporating fitness in a daily routine, as well as the benefits and consequences of not being physically active and identifying and dealing with stress.

Hawkins said the workshop will stress the importance of being fit, eating healthy and leading a healthy lifestyle to help teens live life to its fullest extent.

"People who are both physically and mentally fit are less prone to medical conditions," he said. "Teens will have a better understanding of identifying and managing stress through being a resilient teen."

Stuart Bapties, HAWC Flight commander, said the workshop is a great way to teach teens about healthy living.

"Health education builds teenagers' knowledge, skills and positive attitudes about health," he said. "Enhancing this knowledge and skill set in physical, mental, emotional and social well-being not only motivates teens to improve and maintain their health, prevent disease, and reduces risky behaviors; it promotes learning in other subjects and builds resiliency."

Bapties said research affirms the positive impact learning healthy principles has on teens.

"Studies show that reading and math scores of students who received comprehensive health education were significantly higher than those who didn't and in general healthy students learn better," he said." They have higher attendance rates, have better grades and perform better on tests."

Teen base ID cardholders, ages 13 to 17, and their guests who can obtain access to Robins are invited to attend the workshop. For more information, call the Youth Center at 478-926-2110.