Regular exercise can improve mental health for adults and kids, new studies find

BOSTON – Two new studies suggest that getting regular exercise can improve the mental health of both adults and kids, and it doesn't have to be vigorous exercise.

Brisk walking, cycling, swimming, dancing-all of it counts. 

In the first study, researchers in Australia analyzed dozens of previous reviews involving more than 128,000 participants and found that adults with or without underlying mental health conditions who engaged in any physical activity had improvements in symptoms of both anxiety and depression. 

The more intense the physical activity, the greater the impact. 

In another study, researchers in the U.S. and Europe found that 11-year-olds who engaged in regular moderate to vigorous physical activity had better mental health between the ages of 11-13 and were less likely to lose their temper, fight with other children, and steal. 

These studies suggest that regular physical activity should be the standard of care to protect both children and adults against psychological distress. 

Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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