There have been numerous studies documenting the ability of exercise to protect against depression in adults, but the evidence is still meager about whether the same effects apply to children. A new study from Norway fills that research gap by showing that children who play sports are less likely to develop symptoms of depression.
Coming from researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, the study is reportedly the first one to study the correlation in children. “Being active, getting sweaty, and roughhousing offer more than just physical health benefits. They also protect against depression,” said Dr. Tonje Zahl, the study’s author.
To reach that conclusion, the researchers studied 800 children between the ages of six and ten over a four-year period. As part of the study, they interviewed the parents to assess the children’s emotional health throughout these years.
To gauge their physical activity, the kids were asked to wear accelerometers for 24 hours a day for seven consecutive days, and only remove them when bathing. Only those participants with at least three days of recordings and 480 minutes of activity per day were included in the final study.
The study ultimately found that those children who had the highest levels of physical activity were less likely to develop signs of depression when they were reassessed after two years.
An important thing the researchers want parents to keep in mind is that kids tend to follow by example, so introducing them to an active and healthy home could go a long way towards protecting their mental health in the future.
