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Exercise & Teen Mental Health: How Physical Activity Can Improve Mood & Reduce Stress

Author:
Jemma Strain
Jemma Strain
B.S. Psychology
Editor:
Emma Loker
Emma Loker
B.S.
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Exercise and teen mental health go hand in hand. Exercise as a coping strategy for teens has long been recognized by mental health professionals.

Physical activity can act as a natural antidepressant, giving teenagers an important resource for coping with stress, difficult emotions, and a lack of focus. Yet only one in four young people in the U.S. may be getting the recommended amount of daily activity they need.1

If you’re looking for a handy, money-saving way to boost your mood, exercise might just be the key. However, if you’re struggling with your mental health, you can’t exercise away a mental health condition. Professional support may be necessary to help you get through this difficult time. 

When starting out on a new fitness journey, it can be difficult to know where to begin. You may wonder, Do I have to choose very strenuous exercise? Is equipment needed for the best results? How can I stay motivated? This article can help your exercise and mental health journey by covering:

  • How exercise works to improve mental health
  • The benefits of exercise for anxiety
  • How exercise improves the symptoms of depression
  • Five tips for creating a mental health exercise routine 
  • Where to find support for teen mental health conditions
Exercise & Teen Mental Health

Exercise and Teen Mental Health: Why Does It Work?

Physical fitness is more popular than ever. From wearing “athleisure” clothes, the availability of exercise apps and videos, to new, interesting types of activities – exercise really is at its peak of popularity. So, it’s a great time to consider taking up exercise. But does physical activity really work to improve mental health conditions? In a nutshell, yes. 

Exercise has been shown to improve the symptoms of mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression – and we’ll look at how shortly. However, it can also improve the symptoms of a variety of other conditions. For instance, it can also help with issues such as mood disorders, insomnia, and social challenges.2

Exercise works to improve mental health in the following ways.

1. Exercise Boosts Mood

Exercise causes an increase in positive chemicals in the brain called “endorphins,” which can help us naturally feel good. In fact, even as little as 20 minutes of physical activity can flip a bad mood on its head. When you feel low, exercise might be the last thing on your mind – but motivating yourself to get up and move might be just the tonic you need.3

2. Exercise Helps Us Feel Physically Good

Our bodies and minds are connected. So when we feel physically good, our mental health improves. Exercise sends blood and oxygen to important organs such as the heart and lungs, as well as strengthens muscles and bones – helping us feel energized and strong.4 

3. Exercise Improves Friendships

When we join sports groups or exercise with friends, we can feel confident, fulfilled, and like we belong. So, if you’re looking to increase your social support or ease issues such as social anxiety, exercise groups might be a great option for your mental health. 

4. Exercise Increases Confidence

Who wouldn’t like a boost in confidence? Well, exercise might be the right key for unlocking better self-esteem. Exercise is all about setting goals; we set ourselves mental and physical targets, and when we achieve them, we can feel capable of anything. This sense of achievement can also spread across all areas of life – giving you the emotional stamina to tackle other challenges.5 

5. Exercise Reduces Stress

Exercise might be a type of physical stress – but it works to relieve mental stress. Reducing stress with physical activity is a great way to release pressure as exercise reduces the levels of the stress hormones in the body, called “cortisol” and “adrenaline.” Plus, in combination with a boost in feel-good chemicals, physical activity works as a natural painkiller. So, the next time the stress of school, home, or friendships is getting on top of you, think about sweating the pressure out.6 

6. Exercise Helps Us Focus

Physical activity can improve our memory, concentration, and mental clarity – which are excellent resources for challenging times, such as during exam season. It can even give us more energy for studying.6 Improving teen focus with exercise is simple; just choose a physical activity you enjoy and get moving. We’ll cover some ways of building an exercise routine into your schedule later in this article.7 

As is clear, exercise can benefit everyone – but it is especially helpful for teens with mental health conditions. Let’s take a closer look at how exercise can reduce the symptoms of the two most common teen mental health conditions: anxiety and depression. 

How Exercise Helps With Anxiety

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, anxiety disorders affect nearly 32% of teenagers aged between 13 and 18 in the U.S. Anxiety causes intense feelings of worry and fear about the past, present, and future – impacting all areas of a teen’s life. Research shows that young people who are less physically active tend to have more anxiety.8 

If you have anxiety, upping your exercise can improve your symptoms by…9

  • Distracting you from what you’re worried about
  • Easing muscle tension, reducing the signals from your body that tell you you’re stressed
  • Boosting the amount of “feel-good” chemicals in your brain
  • Giving you an outlet for negative emotions
What’s more, not only can exercise improve the symptoms of anxiety, but it can even prevent anxiety symptoms from starting in the first place.10 So, when it comes to coping with anxiety, exercise is a great option. However, if anxiety is affecting your ability to function in your day-to-day life, it may be best to combine exercise with professional support.

Exercise for Teenage Depression

Approximately five million teenagers in the U.S. have struggled with at least one episode of depression. Depression can be incredibly tough to cope with; it can cause intense feelings of hopelessness, loss of interest, and fatigue. The good news is that exercise can have antidepressant effects, but – even better – these effects can actually last for a long time.11

Depression can cause physical changes in how the brain is structured and wired, but exercise can make new connections in the brain that could reduce symptoms. Plus, it can also boost chemicals in the brain, which lead to a good mood. For instance, one study showed that people with depression who were given exercise routines showed higher levels of feel-good chemicals and lower symptoms of depression.12,13 Therefore, if you’re coping with depression, building a simple exercise routine into your schedule could help you feel better. 

However, depression can be complicated and can impact a teen’s future if left untreated. So, while exercise can help improve feelings of hopelessness, if you’re struggling to cope, it might not be enough by itself. Combining exercise with professional mental health care might be the best option for your well-being. 

Teen Fitness and Emotional Health: 5 Tips for Getting Started

Fitness routines for mental health can be built around your interests, schedule, and mental health needs. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that teenagers do around 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise every day. This might sound like a lot, especially if you don’t currently work out. For this reason, the following steps can help motivate and encourage you. 

1. Choose an Exercise You Enjoy

Let’s face it, you’re going to be less likely to stick to a fitness routine you don’t enjoy. But exercise doesn’t have to be boring – you can have fun with it. Think about what activities you’ve enjoyed in the past or whether there are any new ones you’re interested in trying out. Don’t be afraid to experiment. For instance, lots of classes don’t require people to sign up for full courses. You can try out a few different activities until one feels like a good fit.

2. Build It Into Your Routine

Think about when you want to exercise. For instance, if you’re not a morning person, you might prefer to work out after school. Alternatively, improving teen focus with exercise might be a good idea. So you might decide that exercising before school could boost your attention and performance. 

How often would you like to exercise? Daily activity may be best for your mental health, but this might feel a little daunting at the start. You could choose to exercise on certain days that work best for you and then decide to build up to daily. As a note, it’s also important not to overdo it – your body also needs to rest and recover. 

3. Make It Social

While you can work out by yourself if you want to, exercise can have an even better influence on your mental health if you work out with others. Exercising with others can give you a sense of belonging, community, and support. In other words, social exercising can give you a network you can turn to during times of need. What’s more, another benefit of making exercise a social activity is that it could help hold you accountable. If a friend is depending on you to exercise with them, you’re more likely to commit to working out, even when you don’t feel like it. 

4. Track Your Progress

Tracking your progress when exercising can give you motivation and a sense of achievement. Think about setting certain goals, such as to exercise five days a week, and use a tracking tool such as an app or calendar to give you a visual sense of progress. You could also aim to record how many kilometers you run or new skills you’ve learned. When creating exercise goals, make sure to make them realistic and achievable – you don’t want to set yourself up for disappointment. Although it might be hard, try not to focus on tracking weight loss or muscle gain – exercise is about more than just physical appearance. It’s about feeling physically and mentally good. 

5. Stay Positive

Starting a new exercise routine can be exciting and motivating, but maintaining this motivation can be hard. After time has passed, you might lose interest or feel like life is just too demanding or challenging to find time to exercise. Consistency is key in physical activity for teen wellness. For exercise to continue to have a positive effect on your well-being, it’s important to keep it up. Fitness routines for mental health can be adjusted; you can change them up as you see fit. Maybe reduce the number of days you’re working out, try another type of exercise, or ask a friend to join you. 

Exercise as a coping strategy for teens is a powerful tool for better well-being. However, if you’re struggling to cope with a mental health condition, it might not be enough. Lifestyle changes such as healthy eating and exercise work best alongside professional support for managing mental health conditions. Let’s discuss some options for this next. 

Professional Support for Teen Emotional Regulation Through Exercise

Mental health professionals can support and guide teen mood improvement through exercise. They can recommend appropriate lifestyle changes for teens and their families, such as a healthy diet and exercise, as well as discuss how they can incorporate these into mental health treatment packages. 

For instance, exercise in combination with talk therapies has been shown to improve treatment outcomes.14 Mission Prep can talk to you and your parents about the best therapy options for your needs, including:

  • Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): CBT has been proven to improve problem emotions, thoughts, and behaviors in teens – especially in combination with exercise 
  • Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR): EMDR therapy has been shown to work in treating trauma, as it changes how memories are stored in the brain. Through reprocessing these memories, a teen can move past negative experiences and form more positive beliefs
  • Transcranial magnetic stimulation: TMS is a non-invasive therapy that uses magnetic fields to stimulate underactive nerve cells in targeted areas of the brain – improving outlook and mood 
  • Family therapy: Family involvement in therapy can improve a teen’s symptoms, especially if there are relationship dynamics that are contributing to mental health difficulties. For instance, interpersonal therapy can highlight issues in relationships, help teens and families work through them, and figure out better ways of coping
  • Group therapy: Group therapy that is guided by a mental health professional can help teens feel more understood, supported, and able to cope
Kids finding a safe space in sports

Reach Out to Mission Prep for Support

Hopefully, the information in this article has motivated you to get your trainers on and start working out. Physical exercise for teen anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions is a natural way to boost your mood, manage your emotions, and build your confidence. However, if you’re struggling to cope with your mental health, exercise might not be enough by itself. 

Mission Prep offers residential care in California and Virginia, but we can also provide flexible outpatient services in the form of telehealth therapy – adapting treatment to your routine. Each teen’s voice and opinion matter to us, so our evidence-based therapies are delivered in empathetic ways that can make a difference. 

If you’re ready to take the next step in seeking support or just have questions to ask, Mission Prep can help. Reach out to us today for more information. 

 

References

  1. Michel, J., Bernier, A., & Thompson, L. A. (2022). Physical activity in children. JAMA Pediatrics, 176(6), 622. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2022.0477
  2. Hearing, C., Chang, W., Szuhany, K., Deckersbach, T., Nierenberg, A., & Sylvia, L. (2016). Physical Exercise for Treatment of Mood Disorders: A Critical Review. Current Behavioral Neuroscience Reports, 3(4), 350. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40473-016-0089-y
  3. Royal College of Psychiatrists. (n.d.). Physical activity, exercise and mental health for young people. https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mental-health/parents-and-young-people/physical-activity-exercise-and-mental-health-for-young-people
  4. Mayo Clinic Staff. (n.d.). Exercise: 7 benefits of regular physical activity. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/exercise/art-20048389
  5. Fox, K. R. (2000). The effects of exercise on self-perceptions and self-esteem. In S. J. H. Biddle, K. R. Fox, & S. H. Boutcher (Eds.), Physical activity and psychological well-being (pp. 20–30). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203468326-16
  6. Harvard Health Publishing. (n.d.). Exercising to relax. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/exercising-to-relax
  7. University College London. (2020, May 5). Study-boosting benefits of exercise. https://www.ucl.ac.uk/students/news/2020/may/study-boosting-benefits-exercise
  8. Bailey, A. P., Castellano, G., & Aleman, A. (2022). Exercise for the treatment of anxiety in children and adolescents. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2022(9), CD014426. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD014426
  9. Ratey, J. J. (2019, October 24). Can exercise help treat anxiety? Harvard Health Publishing. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/can-exercise-help-treat-anxiety-2019102418096
  10. Schuch, F. B., Stubbs, B., Meyer, J., Heissel, A., Zech, P., Vancampfort, D., Rosenbaum, S., Deenik, J., Firth, J., Ward, P. B., Carvalho, A. F., & Hiles, S. A. (2019). Physical activity protects from incident anxiety: A meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Depression and Anxiety, 36(9), 846-858. https://doi.org/10.1002/da.22915
  11. Zhang, C. S., Cheng, L., Chen, X., Wang, Y., Wei, S., & Sun, J. (2023). The strategies of exercise intervention for adolescent depression: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 974382. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.974382
  12. Harvard Health Publishing. (2021, February 2). Exercise is an all-natural treatment to fight depression. https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/exercise-is-an-all-natural-treatment-to-fight-depression
  13. Melancon, M. O., Lorrain, D., & Dionne, I. J. (2014). Changes in markers of brain serotonin activity in response to chronic exercise in senior men. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 39(11), 1250–1256. https://doi.org/10.1139/apnm-2014-0109
  14. Abdollahi, A., LeBouthillier, D. M., Najafi, M., Asmundson, G. J., Hosseinian, S., Shahidi, S., Carlbring, P., Kalhori, A., Sadeghi, H., & Jalili, M. (2017). Effect of exercise augmentation of cognitive behavioural therapy for the treatment of suicidal ideation and depression. Journal of Affective Disorders, 219, 58-63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2017.05.012




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