It has been proven that moderate to vigorous exercise is good for everybody. It improves sleep patterns, blood pressure and protects against many life-threatening diseases. Now, a new study has revealed that moderate to vigorous exercise can also prevent anxiety and depression as it boosts the mood as well. Experts say that parents should encourage their adolescent children to indulge in physical activity when the first sign of depression begins. The study has found out that even light exercise can help in protecting children from depression. However, unless the kid is an athlete, it is difficult to keep them away from social media. Most of the children are severely under the influence of new-age social media platforms and Cellphone, which is not a good sign.
This study has been published in the journal Lancet Psychiatry. The study shows that 60 minutes of physical activity at the age of 12 can reduce the risk of depression at the age of 18 by 10 percent. These physical activities include running, biking, walking, doing house chores, painting, or playing an instrument. The lead author of the study Aaron Kandola has said that we do not need to include more intense exercise in our routine to improve mental health rather it takes easy and light movements. Senior author of the research Dr. Joseph Hayes has said that many initiatives have been taken to promote intense exercise but we need to focus on light movement exercises as well. Dr. Joseph Hayes is a psychiatrist and clinical consultant at the University of London.
Experts have urged school authorities to come forward and include light movement in the exercise schedule of the children. They have said that it does not require much effort to fit these things into the daily routine of the kids. As a part of the study, around 4257 children under the age group of 12 to 16 years were made to wear instruments to track their movements over three days. Accelerometers recorded the physical movement of the children at least for 10 hours each day. These machines turned out to be better than other methods of movement tracking used in prior studies. The study has revealed that sedentary behavior in children has increased, as they grow older. The risk of depression has been reported highest among the physically inactive children. Each additional hour of sitting idle at the age of 12 is associated with an 11 percent increased risk of depression. At the age of 14, it has been linked with an 8 percent higher risk of depression. While at the age of 16, additional hours of being inactive have shown a 10.5 percent higher risk of mental disorder.
