2023-09-07 10:04:53
The WHO is clear on this subject: children must be active and practice regular physical activity to be healthy. An Australian study has just clarified that the earlier this physical activity is practiced in childhood, the more it promotes mental well-being in the very long term.
Researchers at the University of Queensland have looked in more detail at the benefits of sport on our health and in particular at the impact of physical activity on the mental health of the youngest. More than 4,200 Australian children were then analyzed over a period of eight years, and the conclusions are clear. Children who have practiced a sport regularly from an early age show better mental well-being several years later.
Team sports particularly beneficial to mental health
The study highlights that team sports improve self-confidence, quality of life and socialization and therefore, mental health. But if the practice of a team sport is beneficial for all children, the researchers point out that the trend is even more noticeable among young people who “internalize their emotions” or “have difficulty socializing with their peers”.
Among the children studied, the boys therefore show better results than the girls, who turn less to these collective activities. The authors of the study believe that this low participation of girls is explained by the stereotype according to which these sports are more reserved for the opposite sex, but also by the lack of self-confidence and in one’s sporting abilities which would be observed more among Girls. “It could also be due to a lack of opportunities for girls to participate in team sports, or a lack of diversity of sports offered in schools and after-school programs,” the researchers also explain.
In their report, the Australian scientists then encourage the implementation of initiatives to promote the practice of sporting activity from an early age, but also to promote the integration of young girls in team sports.
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