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Teenage girls should be less concerned about image and more interested in the benefits physical activity provides, Warrnambool mayor Kylie Gaston has urged.
Cr Gaston, a mum of two teenage daughters, is concerned that less than 60 per cent of girls aged 15 to 17 do little to no exercise.
"I hope they realise it's okay to be sweaty and red-faced. It's okay for girls to be normal,” Cr Gaston said.
“They will have better body image if they're getting active and are involved in exercise.”
Cr Gaston supports the federal government’s Girls Make Your Move awareness campaign, which shows teenage girls of all shapes and abilities exercising.
Cr Gaston acknowledged teenage girls had school and part-time work commitments, but said being active provided physical and mental benefits.
“It's good to have a team sport to get involved in and to get along with others. Physical exercise and social interaction are very important,” Cr Gaston said.
“I encourage any girls in their final years of school, when the level of exercise drops off, to go for a walk or become involved in a team sport.
“It’s something we can work on within council.”
The Gaston girls have always participated in sport and unstructured exercise.
Daughters Ana, 16, and Armelle, 13, play hockey and tennis weekly and one of their jobs is to walk their two dogs.
The family regularly walk along Warrnambool's beach and promenade, which also provides them with quality time together.
Cr Gaston acknowledged there were sometimes socio-economic barriers or time constraints on working parents to ferry their children around.
"Not everyone can afford tennis lessons or hockey uniforms," Cr Gaston said.
The city offered plenty of organised and free recreational pursuits, such as walking, she said.
