Study Finds Physically Active Adolescents Have Fewer Mental Health Issues

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Amanda Paluch

Many adults focus on getting enough steps in to stay healthy. And a new study has found that not only is physical activity also important for young people, but it can also improve their mental health. 

The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, involved more than 5,500 adolescents with an average age of 12 in 21 locations across the United States.

The participants were outfitted with a wrist-worn step counter and monitored over the course of three weeks. Follow-up analysis revealed those with higher activity levels reported fewer mental health problems a year later. The study found adolescents who registered less than 5,000 steps daily had more mental health challenges than those who were above that threshold, and the more activity the subjects engaged in, the better their mental health outcomes. 

“We did see changes in the brain that were then related to these positive mental health outcomes,” said Associate Professor of Kinesiology Amanda Paluch, one of the study’s co-authors. She added that the physiological link allows researchers to understand why taking more steps is related to better mental health.

Paluch said the findings are especially critical since fewer young people are participating in sports or other physical activities, with technology, such as cell phones, tablets and video games a concerning factor. 

“Technology can be super useful for some things, but also it can lead to us to being more sedentary because we have screens so readily available,” she said. “So we see this as a real challenge, particularly in children.”

Parents limiting screen time and encouraging more activity can be a step in the right direction, Paluch said. She suggested starting at a normal activity level for a given person—and then trying to add a thousand steps gradually.

There are also simple activities such as walking or riding a bicycle to school. And sports are another good way to get children moving, and even casual, recreational play is great for the mind and body. She said schools can also find ways beyond traditional physical education classes to encourage active students by creating active breaks during learning to move around. 

And whatever the activities are, there should be “a focus on fun, finding something that they’ll enjoy,” Paluch added. “And if you’re a parent, perhaps get out there with them and then you could benefit as well.”

Paluch’s study co-authors were Divyangana Rakesh and Qingyang Li of Kings College London.