Good physical fitness from childhood to adolescence is associated with improved mental health in adolescence, according to a recent Finnish study. Given that up to 25%–30% of young people suffer from mental health issues, these findings are important and relevant at this time. These results imply that enhancing physical fitness at an early age can aid in the prevention of mental health issues.
The Institute of Biomedicine at the University of Eastern Finland and the Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences at the University of Jyväskylä conducted an eight-year study on the physical fitness of 241 teenagers from childhood to adolescence. According to the study, reduced stress and depressed symptoms were linked to increased cardiorespiratory fitness, particularly from infancy to adolescence.
The study also discovered that improved motor fitness from childhood to adolescence was linked to reduced stress and depressive symptoms, as well as improved cognitive function. However, compared to the relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and depressed symptoms, the relationship between motor fitness and depressive symptoms was weaker. Adolescent screen time helped to partially explain the relationships between mental health and motor and cardiorespiratory fitness.
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