Physical Activity and Adolescent Mental Health

Physical activity is increasingly recognised as a multifaceted protector of mental health during adolescence. Regular movement stimulates neurobiological pathways that enhance mood, promote neuroplasticity and regulate stress hormones. At the same time, participation in organised sports, active play or physical education fosters social connectedness, self-esteem and a sense of mastery. Emerging evidence indicates that light and moderate-to-vigorous activity can reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety, while high levels of sedentary behaviour tend to displace beneficial movement and exacerbate emotional difficulties. Psychological resilience and emotional self-regulation appear to mediate these effects, linking physical engagement to improved subjective well-being. School-based initiatives, community programmes and even gamified interventions have shown promise in creating inclusive environments that mitigate barriers such as body dissatisfaction or social physique anxiety. Taken together, this body of work underscores the global public-health imperative to prioritise accessible, developmentally appropriate activity opportunities that support adolescents’ mental health across diverse settings.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have begun to unpack the mechanisms by which physical activity confers emotional benefits. A large cross-sectional survey of over 9,500 adolescents across Chile found that habitual activity habits were positively correlated with emotional self-regulation skills and overall life satisfaction. Mediation analysis revealed that self-regulatory capacity accounted for a substantial portion of the link between movement and subjective well-being, suggesting that promoting emotional skills in tandem with physical engagement may amplify mental-health gains. These findings highlight the value of integrated interventions that combine activity promotion with training in emotional control to maximise psychological resilience in youth.

Physical Activity and Adolescent Mental Health publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in physical activity and adolescent mental health across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA): Any activity requiring substantial effort and appreciable elevation of heart rate, typically sustained for at least ten minutes.

Sedentary behaviour: Waking activities characterised by very low energy expenditure, such as sitting or reclining, which may displace more active pursuits.

Emotional self-regulation: The capacity to monitor, evaluate and adjust emotional responses to match situational demands and personal goals.

Psychological resilience: The ability to adapt positively to stress, adversity or change, often bolstered by mastery experiences such as physical challenges.

Subjective well-being: An individual’s self-reported evaluation of life satisfaction and the presence of positive affect.

References

1. Mediation effect of emotional self-regulation in the relationship between physical activity and subjective well-being in Chilean adolescents. Scientific Reports (2023).
2. Physical activity and risk of depression in adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective observational studies. Journal of Affective Disorders (2024).
3. Depressive symptoms and objectively measured physical activity and sedentary behaviour throughout adolescence: a prospective cohort study. The Lancet Psychiatry (2020).
4. The relationship between physical activity, mental wellbeing and symptoms of mental health disorder in adolescents: a cohort study. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (2019).