The Influence of Physical Activity on Pre-Adolescent Stress
We are likely all familiar with stress. Childhood and preadolescent years in particular often come with greater exposure to stressful situations, such as school environments, family issues, conflicts with peers or teachers, and especially in the growing digital age, social media usage. Since those particularly vulnerable to stress could be at risk for underlying health conditions in the future, it may be important to take efforts to mitigate stress during such critical years of development. And while it’s no secret that physical activity can improve physical health, it could also play a role in managing the stress that occurs throughout one’s early youth.
In a recent study conducted at the University of Basel, researchers set out to investigate how moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) could affect the stress response in children of ages 10 to 13. Children were placed in high MVPA (>60 minutes a day) and low MVPA (<30 minutes a day) groups and given a series of tasks to induce stress, which was then measured in various ways.
After the experiment, a notable result was that preadolescents from the high MVPA group had lower levels of cortisol reactions than preadolescents in the low MVPA group. Cortisol is a hormone released by the body in response to stressful situations, indicating a possible better adaptation to stress in the high MVPA group compared to the low MVPA group. A well-adapted stress response in children could lead to improved overall psychological and psychiatric outcomes for them in the future.
In a recent study conducted at the University of Basel, researchers set out to investigate how moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) could affect the stress response in children of ages 10 to 13. Children were placed in high MVPA (>60 minutes a day) and low MVPA (<30 minutes a day) groups and given a series of tasks to induce stress, which was then measured in various ways.
After the experiment, a notable result was that preadolescents from the high MVPA group had lower levels of cortisol reactions than preadolescents in the low MVPA group. Cortisol is a hormone released by the body in response to stressful situations, indicating a possible better adaptation to stress in the high MVPA group compared to the low MVPA group. A well-adapted stress response in children could lead to improved overall psychological and psychiatric outcomes for them in the future.
High stress reactivity in children may lead to increased vulnerability to adverse future psychological issues.
Image Source: Pixabay
While this study might suggest that moderate-to-vigorous physical activity can help prevent stress-related problems in young children, there are some limitations and important things to note. First, the activity levels of the children were only measured over the course of a week and their stress was measured only at the time of the experiment, so the question still remains if these benefits would persist in the long run. Additionally, the sample size of children participating was somewhat small (n=110), so the results are not generalizable to children as a whole.
While this study’s results are not definitive, they certainly provide yet another reason to exercise and show that it can be especially important to start early in one’s life. Stress is a symptom that can often be overlooked during adolescence, so managing it during this time is not only important for the child’s well being, but can also aid in their future growth and development. Especially with the rise of childhood obesity, simply encouraging a child to go outside and play every so often will likely not only benefit them physically, but may also have an underlying benefit to their stress levels and mental-well being.
While this study’s results are not definitive, they certainly provide yet another reason to exercise and show that it can be especially important to start early in one’s life. Stress is a symptom that can often be overlooked during adolescence, so managing it during this time is not only important for the child’s well being, but can also aid in their future growth and development. Especially with the rise of childhood obesity, simply encouraging a child to go outside and play every so often will likely not only benefit them physically, but may also have an underlying benefit to their stress levels and mental-well being.
Featured Image Source: Kampus Production
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